


FIERY BLADE

by MysticWriter3018



Category: Original Work
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Dhampir, Dwarves, Elves, Empire, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Fire, Knights - Freeform, Magic-Users, Mermaids, Origin Story, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Romance, Royalty, Shapeshifting, Swords, Transmigration, warriors - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2020-06-28 16:55:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 50
Words: 48,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19816528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticWriter3018/pseuds/MysticWriter3018
Summary: A Modern Author, Elaina Raine was rejected of her first-time fantasy novel from an editor because of its lacking content and low story-rating. Not giving up on her writing dreams, she worked on improving it during a stroll when she got caught in a massive arson attack.As she was struck by a fiery blazing inferno, thinking that she's going to die with unfinished business...she wakes up, reincarnated into another world.Specifically...The fantasy world of her own novel!Now she discovers that she's reborn as the Heroine Arteria Blaze of her story!As she goes through a long journey, battles, and adventures, and finding friends, allies-even love, she wonders whether she should stay in the world of her fantasies and dreams...or find a way back and return to her reality.Follow this amazing story...of a Modern person and Chosen Hero...who wields the...FIERY BLADE





	1. STORY PREVIEW/SPOILERS

**Author's Note:**

> This is a preview/spoilers of another new story that I will be posting soon.  
> It will also be posted on Wattpad, just find and follow MYSTC4TH.  
> I will post this new story soon...this is my first original work...and it's going to be a great novel!  
> Please give me your thoughts or comments on this. I'd like all readers to give me your reviews on what you think.  
> Thank you!

STORY TITLE:

**FIERY BLADE**

AUTHOR:

**MYSTICWRITER3018 (AO3)**

and **MYSTC4TH (WATTPAD)**

GENRE:

FANTASY, ROMANCE, ADVENTURE

STORY SUMMARY:

Get magically transported into another world!

There are Romance, Fantasy and Adventure!

*****

A Modern Author, Elaina Raine was rejected of her first-time fantasy novel from an editor because of its lacking content and low rating.

Not giving up on her writing dreams, she worked on improving it when she got caught in a massive arson attack.

As she was struck by a fiery blazing inferno, thinking that she's going to die with unfinished business...she wakes up, reincarnated into another world.

Specifically...The fantasy world of her own novel!

Now she discovers that she's reborn as the Heroine Arteria Blaze of her story!

As she goes through a long journey, battles, and adventures, and finding friends, allies...even Love, she wonders whether she should stay in the world of her fantasies and dreams...or find a way back and return to her reality.

Follow this amazing story...of a Modern person and Chosen Hero...who wields the...

FIERY BLADE

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This is only a preview or spoilers of another new story that I'm writing and working on. This is my first original work and I will also be posting this on WATTPAD, just search and follow MYSTC4TH.

I have lots to do yet so little time, but I will take the time and effort to work on this and writing it. I hope that the readers will like it.

Please give me your thoughts, comments or reviews on what you think of this and also when I post my story.

Thank you!


	2. PROLOGUE and CHAPTER 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first chapters of another new fantasy story!

**PROLOGUE AND CHAPTER 1**

*****

( _Author's notes: This is my first time writing a story. To all readers, please give me your thoughts, reviews or any comments on what you think of my novel. Thank you. Enjoy_!)

*****

*****

****PROLOGUE** **

_There are many stories throughout history, modern and myth about people and their weapons._

_Like Arthur and his sword, or Merlin and his staff._   
_Poseidon and his trident, or Thor and his hammer._

_There are even those throughout the culture, religion, good, evil, reality, and fantasy._

_Like the Asian samurai with his katana, or the African warrior with his spear._   
_Like the necromancer with his cursed ring, or the archer and his bow and arrow._

_Like a simple peasant with a magic lamp, or the witch queen with a cursed mirror._

_Like the Priest with his holy cross or the Death Reaper with his scythe._

_But there is one story._

_A story that tells amazing tales of one special and unique weapon._

_That will be known to all._

_Both modern reality and fantasy, legend and myth, fact and mystery._

_Follow this amazing story about the FIERY BLADE_

_And here is where it all begins._

*****

It all starts with one simple person, living in a simple life in the present time of her modern world.

One who wanted to take a chance of creating and writing an imaginative story of this special weapon she had dreamed one time.

But through many editors and publishers that rejected her work, this one never gave up to have its story told and being heard or read for anyone to see.

Little did this one knew, it is that her story will suddenly change her life and that she will be the only one who will make it her own.

For her fantasy suddenly becomes reality.

And her story begins from one day when she got into a simple accident.

*****

*****

****CHAPTER 1** **

"So...what do you think?"

Elaina Raine, a modern-time normal Author sits calmly on her chair, facing the editor in front of her, who's reading the written draft and manuscript of her first-time novel and studying her work intensely.

Despite the calm exterior she showed off in her body language, she couldn't help but fidget nervously with slight twitches of her fingers she tried to hide by placing her one hand over the other on her lap.

The editor's eyes darted left and right, to and fro and giving out soft humming sounds of her thoughtfulness while reading the manuscript.

Then the woman looked at Elaina with the same perusing thoughtful look when she asked the question aloud after a momentary silence.

"Well, " she began with a small pause, raising her glasses with a finger. "I have to admit this is a good piece of work, but I'm sorry to say that it's lacking, Ms. Raine."

The writer blinked twice as if she couldn't believe what she just heard.

"What?"

"Listen--the draft of your novel you wrote here is fine and all, and the plot of it piqued my interest, including the input of its characters and subject analysis but it's lacking the 'oomph' that will intrigue people into reading this." the editor said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But," she protested.

"I'm sorry but I have to reject this," she said in a voice that sounded final.

Elaina wanted to argue but she instantly decided that the fight wasn't worth it.

She did a deep breath and took her work handed back to her. "Okay, sure."

The editor smiled warmly which didn't reach her criticizing eyes. "Good. I'm glad you understand."

She returned the smile wanly and said. "Yeah, I do."

*****

"AS IF I UNDERSTAND, YOU POMPOUS ARROGANT B--!"

Elaina ranted loud and angry while slamming one of her fists hard at the table she's placed in a small-corner cafe.

"Whoa-whoa! Calm down, Elaina! Don't get yourself worked up too much!" her best friend Emily Bright said and looked around nervously as if someone else might complain of the noise.

Elaina sighed as she reached for her tea and took a drink from it. "That--piece of 'so-called' editor doesn't know how long and how hard I've worked and written my work for!"

"True, but she did have a point."

Emily explained quickly when Elaina glared at her. "I mean--your story is great! I'll admit it when you let me read it first, but honestly, I think you're missing something that will get others hooked into your novel, Elaina."

"Like what?"

The young author asked, instantly curious about how she could have missed something when she wrote it. After almost 3 years of writing her first story, her first fantasy adventure novel, she didn't think of something else that she forgot to write in.

And no matter how many editors she had brought and shown it to, they all rejected her work and gave her the same annoying responses or replies that her story is lacking.

"Like maybe a touch of intriguing mystery? Or thrilling suspense?" Emily suggested, listing off what are the most valued subjects in literature. "Or maybe even romance?"

"Ugh!" Elaina shuddered at the latter part, not liking the idea of adding romance in her story. But she had to admit that her friend did give some good advice. When she was writing, she researched first on everything that she needed to do the original work of her novel.

She learned that romance has become the top 1-rated and high valued book genre in the markets of literature. Second to that of fantasy and science fiction.

It has become a hit worldwide and other authors were very good at it, including combining genres like fantasy romance or historical romance.

Too bad though that Elaina wasn't very good at that kind of subject. It's not only because she's not really into romance, that she's a virgin for so long and that the only love she knows was from reading about it and dreaming fantasies of it.

How embarrassing and humiliating for a woman like Elaina Raine to be a virgin and not even know the meaning and full experience of sex at 30 years old the way she is right now.

Her friend doesn't know and there is no way in a million years beyond her lifetime that she'll say or admit anything about it.

Elaina sighed again and said, "It looks like I've got a lot of things to do again."

"You'll tell me once you've finished right?" Emily asked with stars in her eyes.

She chuckled at her enthusiasm, "Of course. After all, you're my best friend and my only first fan in the world, Emily Bright."

She beamed brightly at the praise, just like her namesake, making Elaina chuckle again.

Both finished their drinks, left the cafe and went off in different ways.

Elaina started to make a short trip to a bookstore to buy another notebook for her new notes and guide in her story to be rewritten.

It didn't take long for her to find it at the first sight she's seen.

A simple yet old antique bookstore that looked to be stuck in the medieval times. But to her, it looked nice and decent, instead of strange and creepy as she went inside.

The bell latched on the top of the door rung inside with a sound ding, and the manager came out on cue.

She's a fair elderly lady in her 60's, and yet she still seemed to be healthy and fit. Her warm gentle eyes smiled behind the glasses she's wearing.

"Oh my, welcome! How may I help you?" the old woman said kindly.

Elaina nodded back to her and looked around. "Do you sell any blank notebooks here? And pencils and pens?"

She nodded and pointed to one of the aisles at the back. "The supplies are there, my dear. Just call for assistance if you need any."

She nodded and went to where the elder pointed and found what she's looking for.

Notebooks and pens in various types, sizes, and colors are there displayed at two shelves, but Elaina found something unique and a little strange when she got into the back.

In the middle at the end of the two bookshelves, stands there one small display stand that shows off a rare antique-looking thick book, with an antique writing pen on top of it.

When she came closer to take look at it, she found that the book is completely blank with absolutely nothing written inside as she flipped the paper pages.

She was curious about why a big old book is empty despite its unique bound book cover with its pretty mythical design.

The writing pen is also unique and lovely as it looked to be handcrafted and shaped to be a miniature figure of a medieval-age sword, with an intricate image of yellow gold hilt at the top and silver-white blade down to the end.

She looked and studied at the items intensely with deep thoughts and then she finally noticed the price tags that were attached to both the book and pen.

At first, she didn't think of buying items like this but there's something about them that calls to her inner writer.

So she decided to take them, even without knowing the mysterious specialty that resonates with them.

She went back to the elderly lady and paid for the items, as the woman just smiled at her, and Elaina went out of the bookshop with the paper bag in her hands.

Elaina didn't know that after she left and the door closed behind her... the old woman who is still smiling had her eyes seemed to glow eerily in a mysterious and ominous way.

*****

After purchasing the items from the bookstore, and also buying food for her dinner, Elaina came home to her modest and simple apartment.

It was simple and modest and just the way the adult woman liked it.

She dropped her groceries by the kitchen counter and went straight to her desk, where there is all of her work.

Elaina looked among the items as if studying them before she nodded her head and took out her new book and pen.

She moved aside some of the papers and things that were in the middle and then placed them there before she opened it and looked at the first blank pages thoughtfully with little tapping from her new fantasy-like pen against the wood of her desk.

Once she made up her thoughts and mind on what kind of rewriting she’ll do for her story, she started writing the first words and things that came in her mind and the ink from the pen cleanly writes into the paper for the amateur writer.

However, what the writer didn't know.

It is that her fantasy story--will suddenly become her reality.

*****

*****


	3. CHAPTER 2 - STORY OF THE WORLD OF EDEN

**CHAPTER 2 - STORY OF THE WORLD OF EDEN**

*****

Elaina was thoughtful for a moment when she was inside her apartment, and sitting by her desk and ready to rewrite her story into the new book she bought with her new fantasy-like pen.

She looked around at the various papers with drawings, pictures, and story notes about her story that is placed beside and around her on the desk, with a distant gaze on her face, and her mind is full of thoughts and ideas running inside her head before she started to write.

She made sure that everything subjective from her previous written story is the same in the new rewritten one.

*****

_Everything starts with a unique yet mysterious beginning._

_And this is one world that came to be._

_The world of Eden._

_And therein that world lies one single massive and large continent, surrounded by a vast ocean known as Seanoace._

_In this continent, it is divided into five nations, one in the center and the middle of it is the main capital called the Alanova Capital. It is the nation where only the cities and towns of the world population’s civilization are._

_Also surrounding the capital is a very dark thick forest known as Nekrad Secdur. It’s also called as the ‘Cursed Dark Forest’._

_On the north is known as Baseat, where it is a region and land of rocky mountains._

_On the south is Evelan, a grand land of thick greenery and forests._

_On the west are Evitan, a hot region of sands and blazing deserts._

_And finally on the last nation at the east, is Erivam. A foggy covered land filled with shrouded mists and darkness._

_This Eden world is unlike any other world you would ever encounter._

_At least not in reality._

_For this world is another world full of fantasy and magic._

_For this world, there is only not just humans populating it._

_There are also elves, dwarves, beast-people, shapeshifters, dhampirs, vampires, merpeople, and lots more of these magical beings and mythical creatures._

_All light and dark types, the magic users and non-magic users, and the sentient and non-sentient beings._

_Although these many races live or travel in different places among the five nations of the continent of Eden._

_Each of the nations had the various residents that live permanently in them._

_For the human race, they live in Alanova Capital._

_In Baseat in the north region, there lived the beast-people and the dwarves._

_In Evelan at the south, there lived the elves, dryads, and nymphs._

_In Erivam at the east, there lived the dhampirs, vampires, and dark creatures._

_In Evitan at the west, there lived the wild and native-like humans, and shape-shifters._

_In the oceans surrounding the continent, there lived the water beings like merpeople and such creatures like that._

_Finally, on the forest known as Nekrad Secdur that surrounds Alanova Capital, there lived the darkest type of creatures, like shadow monsters or demon-like terrifying beings that lurk and hide in the cursed dark forest._

_This is the world--the world of Eden._

_A fantastical magical and also mysterious and mythical world, unlike any other worlds you might know or encounter._

_A world where your heart’s desires and dreams come true._

_And also a world where your worst nightmares and darkest fears come to life._

_But in this grand world, this is the place that you surely want to see._

_And this is how it all started._

_With the origins and births of the fantastical races, its energy of magic, and the most astounding object and heart of it all that had borne the continent of Eden._

_This object is known to be called…the Fiery Blade._

_And here is how it all begins._

_Enter into the world of Eden--if you wish or dare to._

*****

Between writing and giving herself a break, Elaina edited and rewrites everything and making sure that she didn’t miss out on any blank pages to write down notes while writing out all contents in her story.

Just as Elaina stretched her arms up and do some home aerobic exercises for a few minutes of her break, she didn't notice that all of her notes and writings into the new book started glowing like a magic as if to etch permanently into the pages.

By the time she had finished doing whatever relaxing exercises she needed to relieve her fatigue, the glowing instantly stopped and the book seemed to look normal again.

Then Elaina sat down again and continued on writing, oblivious and unknowing over the sudden strange happenings that are occurring near her.

After the time had gone by so fast in a passing blur, including the break time to eat meals or relax her mind shortly and then continue writing, it was already late at night and Elaina was so surprised on seeing the time as she turned to look at it.

She instantly stopped writing, as she decides to be done for the day and then continues on the next one tomorrow to the book of her new story.

She closed the book with the pen inside as a bookmark and then she sighed as if instantly exhausted from what she’s doing as she went off to change her clothes into sleeping ones and go to sleep.

As she goes into her bed and snuggles under her comfy blankets, Elaina didn’t know that her fantasy imaginative story will become changed in a way that she will not expect.

And she wouldn’t know it until it came straight at her like a speeding truck out of nowhere upon trying to cross a street.

Just as Elaina drifted off into a peaceful and heavy-dreamless slumber, the book glowed again, brighter than before and the new pen she used also glowed as well inside it as if the two items’ magic are responding to their writer's heart's desires and wishes when she wrote about the story of the world of Eden.

*****

*****


	4. CHAPTER 3 - THE FIERY BLADE

**CHAPTER 3 - THE FIERY BLADE**

*****

Elaina had woken up, instantly took a bath and then ate breakfast and coffee quickly to be wide awake and alert, and after she had done these, she went straight to her desk and continue on with her tasks for the day.

Luckily for her, she has a part-time job to make ends meet and she also has a steady income and savings for herself to live on in her apartment.

Elaina continued writing for her rewritten story, not knowing that there were special circumstances that happened strangely magical and unusually mystical while she was asleep before.

She then continued on to wherever she left off and did some added notes in the book as she writes down.

Her face gave out and expressed different emotions on her face, on both her thoughts and ideas that she had in her head as she wrote them down into the book of her story.

The more she went on writing and adding in more in this special book, the more she didn’t know that something fantastical and mystical is happening before her that she still wasn’t aware and doesn’t know about it.

*****

_The Fiery Blade._

_A magical and mystical weapon._

_Forged unknown by whoever and whatever parts that had made and created it._

_Many stories were told that this magic blade had fallen from the heavenly skies._

_Others say that this blade emerged from the depths of the earth._

_There are some that believed it was forged by someone and then enchanted with magic._

_Some others also say that it was blessed or cursed when it appeared._

_There are so many mysteries about this mythical weapon._

_But there is only one truth about this magical blade._

_This magical weapon chooses its wielder itself._

_There seems to be no reasonable explanation as if to who or why it chooses the wielder instead of the other way around._

_Whether it was magical or enchanted to do so, the Fiery Blade would only choose its wielder as its chosen one to use it._

_The Fiery Blade has many kinds of magical abilities that it can do._

_There are elemental kinds of water, fire, earth, and air. There are also dark and light kinds, and finally, there is also the cursed and blessed types._

_But the latter part about the cursed and blessed ones have not emerged and been activated from the Fiery Blade yet because it is not time for those kinds of powers to bear fruit and reveal out._

_In so many ways, the Fiery Blade is the most powerful magical weapon in the world of Eden._

_There are still so many unsolved mysteries and unknown stories about it to know more about this magical item. But so far, those have been lost and were never seen again._

_The Fiery Blade is a great symbol of hope and power that unites all the divided nations of the continent and it is considered a weapon not for war but for peace._

_But before more would be told about this Fiery Blade._

_This story starts with the age of peace, followed by the age of tyranny._

_And mysteriously as the Fiery Blade is, it will suddenly disappear one day once its chosen wielder dies and will only appear again as the newly chosen one comes once more._

*****

Before she was about to continue and write more, her cell phone rang and she answered it instantly as she stopped writing.

“Hello?” Elaina answered.

[Hi, Elaina! So how’s the new story of your novel coming along?] her best friend Emily talked as she called her.

She smiled before she responded to her call. “I think I pretty much have a nice starting point with the new one. It’s still the same kind of content and topic, but I’m considering the romantic concept to add it into the fantasy genre and then just going with the flow as I write it down.”

[Oh, that’s great! Would you mind giving me some hints or spoilers about it?] she asked excitedly.

Elaina almost scoffed out loud as she scolded, “then that would ruin my surprise of this story to my future readers.”

She believes that Emily must be pouting at the other end of the phone as she cursed at her. [Spoilsport!]

“Now, now--that’s not a nice way to say to your friend who had said that she loved my stories!” Elaina said coyly.

[Even so…you don’t need to hold it back and keep it secret from me! Your best friend!] she complained whining.

Elaina laughed a little as she stopped instantly. “Okay, I need to get back to working and writing on. I’ll call you again later, Emily.”

[Alright, will do! But--you better promise me that you’ll give me a little hint about what your story’s about!] Emily warned her in a semi-threatening way that got Elaina amused again at her play-acting.

“Okay, okay, I promise. Bye, Emily.”

[Bye!]

The call between them ended and Elaina sighed as she looked and studied her writings and the notes of the work in her new story.

Then she decided to have a break for a while as she stood up from her chair and moved away from the desk to do her usual home aerobic exercises to keep her mind alert and active before she goes back to writing.

So far it was a good start just as she said to her friend, but what the writer still doesn’t know that by the time the next day comes, her story ‘The Fiery Blade’ that was written in the new book, will be unexpectedly changed into something great and magical that the real-modern woman couldn’t even imagine or would not even expect it.

As she had turned around, she didn’t even notice that the book and pen were glowing again, its mysterious magic responding to the writer’s writings and notes written on the book about her story of ‘The Fiery Blade’.

*****

*****


	5. CHAPTER 4 - A FIERY REBIRTH

**CHAPTER 4 - A FIERY REBIRTH**

*****

As Elaina spent almost a week on rewriting her story, she didn’t know that the new book she got and the pen has been glowing continuously with her being unaware of any of it because she was very focused on rewriting her whole story into a new one.

Also, she didn’t know what’s been going on around her apartment with her other neighbors, like a couple having an argument, or a group of teenagers having a party with loud music, or even an old man who is snoring away sleeping with the television turned on.

The writer had tuned out all of these noises in her apartment as she got busy with writing her story.

However, Elaina wasn’t aware that something ominous and grim will happen at her place and she wouldn’t be able to realize it until it was already too late.

As she kept on working and writing on with her story, somewhere in the upper floors of her neighbors in the apartment building, the ones who are having a blasting loud party, they had some loose circuitry and exposed wiring in their electrical system that started sparking.

It seemed only a little bit but as time had passed and the neighbor living in that place didn’t put it out, the sparks grew more and the electric bits started reaching towards instantly flammable things, like the alcohol-soaked rugs on the floor or the fluttering curtains by the windows that were flying from the wind of the electric fans or something else.

By the time the sparks had lit fire right into the curtains and then spread on the carpets, it was too late.

There were a few cries from the other people in the party as they had noticed the fire, and by the time fear had spread into their minds and common sense has been lost on them to put it out, the little fire has grown into a very big one and all the teenagers and people that were in the party were running for their lives, getting out of the apartment.

The other apartment tenants have also run out once the fire alarm rang out and had seen the party people running like hellhounds were chasing them, they join in to escape the fire that’s now instantly spreading like wildfire inside the apartment building.

The only one who had stayed behind and was still unaware of what’s going on was just Elaina the writer.

Either she was so distracted or stupid, it didn’t take long for her to realize that the whole apartment was on fire when she started to smell smoke fogging up into her place.

Elaina whirled around swiftly and saw a fiery blaze trying to swiftly enter through her doors, she jumped up and went towards the windows to get out and reach for the fire escape.

But when she opened the windows, a fiery blaze blocked her way and she jumped back to prevent herself from being caught by its blazing and burning heat.

When she heard sirens of the fire department coming, she shouted and made noise to let any of the fire workers know that she’s there.

She continued doing that while also covering her mouth and nose from inhaling the smoke and fire that’s engulfing her apartment but unfortunately for her, the fire grew more and more inside and she was trapped and was going to be burnt alive.

By the time the fire rescuers had heard the noises and her cries, they were too late, they heard unearthly inhuman screams from the poor victim that got caught by the fire and being burnt alive, but they didn’t know that screaming was actually coming from Elaina who was suddenly mysterious and magically pulled by the blinding light that was coming from the book she was writing on.

And strangely enough, her pen that she used to write for her story on the book, it grew in size until it looked like it became a real sword and it flew straight into Elaina’s hands and then she disappeared instantly with loud screams before the blazing fire got to her.

Elaina, her book and transformed sword-pen had instantly disappeared and when the apartment was being doused and dealt with by the fire workers, they wouldn’t find any trace or remains left behind of her, but only black ashes.

Little did the people of Elaina’s modern real world know, is that the writer had just been reborn in a twist of fate, and magically brought into another world.

Specifically, a fantasy magical world that the writer would never expect to be pulled into.

*****

Elaina was groaning like she’s in pain and she can feel her head aching as if she fell from her apartment building or something.

When she opened her eyes, she was shocked and suddenly afraid when she found herself in an unknown place that she doesn’t seem to recognize but somehow the scenery seemed a bit familiar to her.

She sat up, ignoring the sudden pain again in her head and body as she looked around.

She’s somewhere in the middle of a forest with bright sunlight basking over the area she’s in and everywhere she looked, she couldn’t seem to see any sign of familiar modern sights or people in the place.

"Whoa--okay, I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore or something."

Elaina said and felt like saying those words as she kept looking around at her unfamiliar surroundings.

Then she noticed something else when she spoke those words out loud.

She blinked confused with a hand up to touch her throat. “Okay, why do I sound different?”

And another split-second she noticed more differences about herself as she looked at her hands, which seemed to be smaller than before.

“Am I having double-vision from the fire or something?” she exclaimed incredulously as she shakes her head to try to shake off the fog she’s feeling.

Then Elaina knew that she needed to look at a reflection or something to see and assess what injuries she has on herself.

She noticed a small pond and weakly stood up to her feet and walked towards it. When she reached the edge, she knelt down and bends forward to look at her watery reflection.

What Elaina the writer didn’t expect is that she’s looking at a _different_ face in the clear surface of the water.

It didn’t take long for Elaina to realize with shock and horror as she raised a hand to her new face that is very familiar to her since she’s the very one who created and wrote about this character.

Somehow, her fiery rebirth has turned and gotten her reborn into the heroine of her story of the ‘Fiery Blade’--who is known as Arteria Blaze!

*****

*****


	6. CHAPTER 5 - ARTERIA BLAZE AND THE MAGICIAN

**CHAPTER 5 - ARTERIA BLAZE AND THE MAGICIAN**

*****

Elaina couldn’t believe that this had happened, but it did.

She kept staring at the young face of her story’s heroine in the clear watery reflection in a shocking silent moment before she snapped out of it and stood up to look at her new body more in stunned alarm.

She found that she’s somehow reborn in the body of the story’s main character herself but younger judging from the body shape and youthly appearance.

She wondered where and when she is at that time and place since she now realizes that the unfamiliar surroundings she’s in, it is the fictional world known as Eden of her story.

She tries to remember what kind of place of the area she is in where she heard noises coming from rustling bushes by the edges of the forest the clearing is near to.

She gasped and tried to look around for a weapon when the sources of the noises came out, and it was just a simple beggar couple of an elderly man and woman who seemed to be finding her.

“Oh, Arty! There you are!” the woman cried, instantly engulfing her in a hug which startled her.

“You had us worried! What did I tell you about running off, child?!” the old man scolded her, but not too sternly as he joined in the hug.

Elaina, also known as ‘Arty’, to them just played along when these two old people hugged her affectionately as if she’s their daughter or something and said meekly, “I’m sorry?”

“Sorry is not going to cut it, young lady. You realize that we’re going to ground you for sneaking off like that,” the woman scolded her firmly as she breaks the hug and stares down at her with a stern look on her face.

She didn’t know what she’s in for but she decided to take it like a man and have the punishment before they make it worse.

She gave the elderly couple the show that she’s ashamed of what she’s done and put dramatic tears in her eyes to show that she’s really apologetic. “I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do it again.”

‘ _I will need to figure out more where and when I’m in here in this place before I find out what’s going on_.’ Elaina/Arty thought deeply in her mind.

The couple seemed satisfied at her behavior and then ushered her to go with them to return to whatever home they live in.

It didn’t take long for them to go back as it’s a small simple cottage in the woods and they had company as an adult woman came rushing out the door when she saw them approaching.

She seemed to be dressed up in what looked to be magical robe clothes and she even had a pointed witch’s hat to add with the clothing wear as the woman cried out. “Oh, there you are! I was so worried! I’m glad you found her!”

Then there was a sudden little blur and a little girl almost wearing the similar get-up the adult is wearing is hiding behind the woman’s side.

Elaina got a feeling that she could recognize who the little girl might be but she focused her attention with the elders talking with the robed woman.

Though they tried to lower their voices so that the young children wouldn’t hear them, Elaina was the only one who could hear them clearly with her sharp hearing despite her youthly child’s state.

She can hear them discussing that she ‘Arty’ was found safely by the pond of the clearing and wasn’t anywhere nearby in the forest where a sudden blaze of fire had happened.

They had thought when they found out that she was gone, she must have been somewhere near there but they were glad to find that she isn’t when the robed woman went to put out the fire.

Elaina felt like that there’s something strange about this and the way they behaved towards her but she’ll have to put it off for another day because the adults were ushering her and the little robed girl back into the cottage so that they’ll have an early dinner and go to sleep for the night.

Once they did, with Elaina sleeping beside the robed girl within one-bedroom, already changed into their sleep-wear, and then Elaina slept deeply into dreamland and felt like she’s hoping that everything was all a dream.

But when Elaina woke up, her hopes were dashed as she realized that everywhere and everything she looked around her is all reality.

Elaina--now calling herself Arteria from now on--started the first of the days of her new life, somehow reborn into the future heroine of her story.

She woke up very early in the morning, then looked at her sleeping companion before she changed clothes quickly into a simple beggar shirt and small pants and she went straight to the library.

To find out more information, the best place to start with is the very place where there are books.

The cottage she’s in seemed to be small from outside but larger on the inside. And it was fortunate and lucky for Arteria, or nickname is ‘Arty’, to find that there is a library, even with the few books she could see that were there in the room and the other shelves and bookcases are barely empty.

Arty could take whatever she could get and she started to grab for the first book she could find and reach and started reading on it.

When she reads them, she was also glad to find that she could understand the foreign language in the books and read them clearly.

She didn’t notice that she had company until she put the first book down and turned to get another one.

She almost jumped startled on seeing the little girl, already dressed in the same robes she wore the day before and was looking up at her curiously like she’s a new toy to play with or something.

Upon being close with this female child, Arty finally realized and recognized who this young girl is.

The little girl smiled brightly to Arty/Arteria as if she didn’t notice the strange way she’s staring down at her with a stunned look on her face.

"Hello! I'm Emyrie Skylight! It's nice to meet you!" she greeted cutely.

 _‘_ _Wow... Perky little mage isn't she?_ _’_ She thought as she looked at her heroine's partner dubiously.

This little girl is another character in the story and the partner and best friend of the main female lead, who is known as Emyrie Skylight, the magical magician.

Arteria had wondered why she made her character, the magician into the similar likeness of her best friend back in the real world.

But she figured that she would be useful and a good companion throughout her journey and adventures, even if this one is only a character in her story.

And so, her story begins in her new life, with herself being mysteriously reborn and having an instant first new friend, who is Emyrie Skylight.

She wondered what kind of adventures she and her friend will be going through in the future of the story world she’s in, as Arteria Blaze and the magician.

*****

*****


	7. CHAPTER 6 - DEVELOPMENTS AND PLANS

**CHAPTER 6 - DEVELOPMENTS AND PLANS**

*****

Arteria--or rather Arty as her nickname is--was glad to have Emyrie around, even though she’s a little kid, to help her out into reading more knowledge from the books that are in the library.

She was almost halfway finished reading another book with Emyrie who decided to read along, thinking that this is fun when the adults came to look for them and had found them in the library room.

Arty and Emyrie looked up and instantly the little magic girl stood and ran to her mother, gleefully telling her that she and her new friend Arty were having fun reading books.

Arty didn’t speak a word as she watched them a bit cautiously but had a childish smile on her face to play along as Emyrie babbled on to the adults.

Then the elderly couple turned to Arty and smiled down at her as the old man said, “I’m glad that you and Emyrie are getting along well. But Arty, don’t forget that you’re coming with me and your grandmother to the town to buy more food there.”

“Okay, grandpa!” Arty smiled more and said in a childish piping voice like she’s excited to go.

‘ _So the elderly couple are Arteria’s grandparents, huh_?’ Arty and former writer Elaina thought deeply in her head as she went up to change her clothes into outdoor type ones. ‘ _Good to know, at least. Now I need to figure out who Emyrie’s mother is. I’m sure she seemed a bit familiar to me but I can’t seem to recall who she is, despite that Emyrie is the main character’s best friend and partner in the story._ ’

Fortunately, her luck became good when Emyrie demanded that she wanted to go to, despite that her mother seemed to protest against it and tried to calm her daughter into not going.

Arty became amused when she saw Emyrie begging her mother that she wanted to go, and it was until she brought out the crocodile tears that Emyrie’s mother finally relented into letting her go.

Emyrie became instantly cheerful and was about to go and change her clothes when her mother did it for her with a quick snap of magic from her fingers.

Arty watched in wonder and awe as a magical swirling mist surrounded Emyrie and changed her clothes magically into outdoor ones. She wondered about the kind of magic in the world of her story can do.

She remembered that she did write in the story notes before in the real world that the magic in the world of Eden is different and amazing beyond any magic she has seen, heard or read about it.

Arty will have to see what sorts of magic that are in the world of Eden when she gets out and goes into town later, along with the companions coming along.

It didn’t take long for them to walk and go into town and Arty and her company were just entering through the town’s gates before she realized that there were so many people, both human and non-human alike milling about, either working or shopping or something else.

Arty looked around again in wonder as they are now in the middle of the town square where there is a market-place for all people to shop and buy food and other things.

She can see that not only humans are there, but there are also non-human types, like elves, beast-people, and dwarves passing through and coming about and around the town.

While Arty’s grandparents and Emyrie’s mother were busy buying what they needed with the two kids helping out, Arty made sure that she becomes super aware of everything, hearing and seeing whatever she could to obtain and gain knowledge about the Eden world around her.

Though she wanted to know more and figure out who Emyrie’s mother is, it’s also important to know something else and more about everything that has been going on or what’s happening.

And it worked for Arty managed to hear while she’s helping her grandparents to buy some fruits and vegetables, from a discreet soft conversation being exchanged between a group of elves and some beast-people that were with them.

“It’s getting worse. The Mad King sent out more troops to attack and invade another one of the villages somewhere in the north border of Baseat,” said one of the beast-people who appeared to be half-wolf and half-human, with a wolf’s head, claws, and furry body.

An elf male nodded as if he is the friend of the wolf-man as he replied, “I agree. My people have also caught scouts that were roaming around by the borders of Evelan and found them to be sent from that Mad King.”

“I still don’t understand why the king is so obsessed in trying to find the chosen one of the Fiery Blade,” said another elf, this one is a female. “It’s almost been a hundred years since the last chosen of the magic blade has died.”

A half-bird and half-human woman snorted with her bird head clicking its beak as she said, “And that’s why he’s called the ‘Mad King’. That man has gotten crazier ever since he ascended into the throne and ruled Alanova Capital. It also didn’t help that he somehow found out knowledge about the Fiery Blade and its chosen wielders, and gotten into his sick head that he has a right to wield the blade as his own and sent out his men to find the new wielder, kill him/her, and obtain it.”

The wolf-man shook his head. “The king doesn’t realize that it’s not the wielder who chooses the blade--but it is the magic blade itself that chooses the wielder. I hope that whoever the new chosen one is, he or she is somewhere safe and out of the king’s reach.”

“I agree, my friend. Now let’s disperse before our conversation might be heard by some unsavory ears,” said the elf man cautiously, looking around as if to make sure that nobody else is listening.

When there was nothing, except Arty who was the only one who had eavesdropped discreetly at their conversation, the group separated and went off in different ways as if their discussion didn’t happen and they went to go to whatever they’re doing.

Arty had remembered about the main villain she had cast and written into the story about the ‘Mad King’.

After realizing that her story seemed to be developing on its own or something similar as she had written it, despite that she wasn’t finished completing the story, Arty discovers that as the main character she has to play it out which she thinks that doing this is the key to finding her way back home in the real world.

But she had to wonder how she will be able to do this while preventing herself from finishing the story without dying.

Sometimes, she had wished that she didn’t write in the ending that the heroine would sacrifice herself to kill off the lead villain and die at the end of her story.

She regretted trying to create her story to be exciting for the people who will read her story.

It looks like that she’ll have to somehow deal with the developments and make plans so that she’ll be able to go through the plot of her story and somehow survive when she finds out and discovers the way into going back home to the modern real world.

*****

*****


	8. CHAPTER 7 - SURPRISES AND CHANGES

**CHAPTER 7 - SURPRISES AND CHANGES**

*****

After Arty had finished eavesdropping on that conversation, she continued playing along to help out her ‘grandparents’ and Emyrie’s mother with their shopping while Emyrie also helps out in her cute childish ways.

Just as they had finished their purchases and were about to leave the town to go back home to the secluded cottage in the woods, there seemed to be a commotion by the town’s main gates.

She wondered what is going on until her grandparents and Emyrie’s mother had pushed her and Emyrie gently by the side and behind them protectively when a royal-looking noble carriage pulled by grand-looking horses came rushing in through the gates and entered the town square.

Arty figured that it must be someone important in the royal family from one of the nations that are passing by to visit or something, but then her whole being froze in dread when she saw the familiar symbol that she created for the story that is very known to her.

The royal symbol of Alanova Capital, as it depicts a sign of a noble-like golden cross with two silver swords crossing each other in front of it as if guarding the cross. It is exactly where the ‘Mad King’ dwells and rules.

She knew that it was dangerous to reveal herself, even though Arteria Blaze has not found or gotten the Fiery Blade yet, but she had to take a look inside the carriage to check and see who’s inside.

But when she took a sharp peek into the carriage to look inside as it passed by in a slightly fast blur, she almost got the most heart-stopping shock of her life when she saw who it was.

The other main character of the story and soon to be the future romantic partner of the female lead.

Prince Adrian Reign. The bastard son of the ‘Mad King’.

Arty didn’t think that she would see this character so soon but then she had a sudden shocking thought in her head.

 _‘_ _Wait... Isn't this a little too early?!_ _’_ she thought to herself stunned and shockingly dumbfounded.

Arteria kept staring in shock at the young teenage male she saw in the royal carriage that passed by.

_‘_ _I'm not supposed to see the male lead character until I'm older! How come he's here?!_ _’_

She didn't know what to do after seeing him and knew that in her current situation right now is way too early and dangerous to be seen or noticed.

It was fortunate and relieving for Arty that the carriage has passed by and didn’t stop until it reached whatever destination it’s heading to with its occupant inside.

Then she became more relieved when her grandparents or the female magician didn’t seem to want to stay long--even when they had also recognized the royal carriage that came by.

They all left and got out of town though not in a hurry, and they trek down the path back to where the cottage is in the deep thick forests.

While they were walking, Emyrie was chatting happily to her friend Arty but she didn’t know that Arty was blank both in body and mind and didn’t hear her chatter or was even aware as she was thinking deeply inside her head over what happened before.

Emyrie didn’t notice this because Arty was absently nodding to her as she talked, thinking that she was listening to what she’s saying.

And it didn’t take long for Arty to snap out of it when they had come back home into the cottage and Emyrie scampered off to help her mother put away the groceries while Arty’s grandparents went to prepare their dinner since the night time is already coming soon.

Arty had to be polite and asked that if she could help out or something but her grandparents assured her that they’ll be fine and that she’ll have to wait until they call her if it’s now dinner time.

So Arty did, and she went off to wait in the library where she decided to be there to think more deeply in her mind and try to read some books as if to calm her anxieties she’s having within herself.

When she entered the library, she took one book and tried reading but couldn’t because her mind is focused on something else.

Arty was absently brushing the pages of the book she’s holding and flipping slightly even though she isn’t reading it as she was deep in her head mentally thinking and deeply.

She wondered so much on why Prince Adrian was there and why it was so early in the story that the main character Arteria Blaze has seen him, even with only a passing glance at him. There’s also not to mention the facts that figuring out or trying to discover the reasons why the prince is also there in town and what he’s doing there.

Arty hoped that he’s not there because of her since it’s not time yet for her to be found and chosen as the wielder of the magical weapon known as the Fiery Blade.

For it was too soon and very fast to happen in the story.

Arty didn’t know what to do. She didn’t even expect the sudden unexpected events that are happening right before her eyes.

She wondered what’s going on and why this seemed to be happening since she had thought that the plot would go the same way she expected as she had written in her story.

It seems that she’ll somehow have to find a way to figure out and discover what is happening because of these surprises and changes.

Hopefully, this might not mean anything good or bad for Arteria Blaze, and that it was all just a coincidence when she had first seen the other main character of the story.

*****

*****


	9. CHAPTER 8 - MOTIVATION AND DRIVE

**CHAPTER 8 - MOTIVATION AND DRIVE**

*****

Throughout all of Arteria’s chaotic thoughts over what had happened before and seeing the other lead character in the story, Arty was aware enough to join the others and eat their dinner once it’s ready and then when it’s time for bed, Arty and Emyrie went straight to sleep and rest until another new day arrives.

Before Arty closed her eyes and surrendered into slumber, she thought to herself that she might be able to think clearly by the next day and start making plans and decisions over what she’s going to do.

Once the next day had come, the sun rising and shining its light through the open cottage windows, Arty instantly woke up early and first to face the day.

She sat up on her bed and looked to see that Emyrie is still asleep, and Arty was satisfied at that as she got off the bed, changed her clothes quickly, and went off to the library to start thinking deeply and make plans on what to do to play out her role as the main character of the story.

As she tiptoed quietly, checking on the adults to see if they’re still asleep or busy doing something else in the early morning, she found that they are and headed straight to the room where there are all the books she needed.

She looked around, grabbed the most important books she needs to learn and know, and then started reading through them to gain more knowledge on them and the world she’s in.

Though she might have needed Emyrie’s help, the little girl magician is still a child so it looks like Arty is going to be doing this alone for the time being.

It was fortunate for Arty that she has an intelligent mind to absorb all that she can to learn and know everything.

It took a few hours for her to process all the books she’s reading and stored them in her head before she heard some noticeable sounds that the adults seemed to be searching around for her, and Arty hurriedly put away all the books, but she marked those that she’ll continue later.

Arty went out and played along, as usual, being the cute young girl that she is, and her grandparents smiled back when they saw her and called her over for breakfast.

Emyrie had just arrived, seeing that she’s still a bit sleepy when her mother got her to eat, then the small family gathered around to have their breakfast.

They didn’t notice at all that Arty was being slightly absentminded and that she was thinking deeply over something.

After breakfast, Emyrie piped out that she and Arty are going to play and Arty didn’t protest as she went along and needed the short break since she spent almost a long time reading the books in the library.

The grandparents and Emyrie’s mother consented and let them go but they also cautioned them to not go too far and get themselves lost in the forest.

Arty said in a responsible way to promise them that they won’t and they almost gush at her adorable childishness.

Once Emyrie and Arty went out and play tag and hide-and-seek around the cottage, it was almost noon and nearly lunchtime that Emyrie suddenly stopped and went back into the cottage to see if lunch is ready yet.

Arty stayed behind outside, let herself lie on the grassy soft ground and look up into the cloudy blue sky.

She let herself relax a bit, while she’s thinking deeply in her mind over whatever she’s thinking.

Arty mentally sighed knowing that some of her decisions and plans she’s making and about to make are way too hasty and fast.

But after seeing the other main character Prince Adrian back in the town before, she had no choice.

She had to find the magic weapon that is the Fiery Blade and find allies soon in order for the rebellion against the Mad King to start forming and find a way to defeat the crazy king without dying.

Even though there weren’t any whispers about her yet since it’s too early to tell, it won't take long for rumors to spread and reach towards the villainous king that the wielder of the Fiery Blade might have been chosen and found.

And she didn't want to die that early.

So for starters, she needed to make a list, an important list with all the key factors that she had created, known, and written into the story before it comes to an end.

First, of course, finding exactly where the Fiery Blade is and be its newly chosen wielder as the story goes.

Next, finding the exact allies who are the key to the rebellion against the Mad King.

Next again, meeting Prince Adrian when the time comes and have him brought to the fold of the rebellion against his crazy tyrannous father.

And next again, find out and discover how to activate the hidden power of the Fiery Blade to defeat the Mad King, without being sacrificed and then die at the end.

Then finally, finding the way back home in the real world.

Arty didn’t know what to do again as she pondered over all of this. There’s been obstacles and difficulties concerning the unexpected changes in the story, but she believed that as the main character and as its writer, she’ll be able to breeze through it without any problems.

Her determination into seeing this through and trying to find a way back home to her former modern world has given her the motivation and drive to do this.

*****

*****


	10. CHAPTER 9 - ARTERIA BLAZE AND THE FIERY BLADE

**CHAPTER 9 - ARTERIA BLAZE AND THE FIERY BLADE**

*****

Though Arty didn’t know where to start, there is one thing that she could focus on which is the source and the start of all this that made the story happen.

Finding the Fiery Blade.

And it was a good thing that she remembered clearly where it is, but the problem besides finding and getting it.

You have to go through a series of trials that would prove the worth of the heroine for the story.

‘ _Easier said than done_.’

Arty thought to herself as the years passed and she’s now at the right age at 15 years old that she had written in the story where she’d be finding the magical weapon and then go through obstacles to prove her worth as its chosen wielder.

As a writer, she had written about the trials, but she hasn’t completed all of them and started writing about what is going to happen because when she had written her story onto the new book, the story notes were first before the beginning chapters of the story.

‘ _Sometimes, I wish that I was a fast-thinking and speedy writer back then_.’ Arty thought to herself again while she prepared her things to go on the journey to find the magical blade.

But it’s lucky and fortunate for her that she remembered the clues to finding the Fiery Blade and that it’s only four obstacle trials she’ll have to fight through to get there.

Granted, during the years she had spent with her grandparents and Emyrie and her magician mother, she only learns and knows enough to live a normal life. But Arty knew that she’ll have to play out the story in the way she had exactly written it before more unexpected changes come into like before with Prince Adrian.

Now that she’s 15 years old, which is a legal age here in the world of Eden, she is ready to travel to town independently, and her family understood, despite that her grandparents will be mourning a little on her departure.

The young magician who’s now about 13 years old wanted to go along with her in her travels but she was refused by her mother since she’s still young and that she still needs to go to a magic academy first to harness her magic, before her coming of age.

Emyrie was disappointed and upset when her mother told her this, but she became happy when Arty had told her friend that they will exchange contact to each other by writing letters and that she can use her magic familiar, which is an owl, to send it back and forth even with the distances away from them.

Emyrie beamed with a wide smile at this and she hugged her tightly before helping Arty out to pack her things and other stuff that she needs to bring.

Arty’s grandparents thought that the kind of new life their granddaughter will be partaking maybe a normal job in the town she’s heading to, but they didn’t know that Arty has other plans and she felt a little guilty in keeping it secret from them since they don’t know that she’ll be going in a dangerous journey ahead of her.

They also wanted to stay in contact too and Arty promise to do so, as she ignored the twinges of guilt inside herself, knowing that the path she’s going to go might not have the means of communication to get back to her family.

Still, while on her adventures, she’ll try her best so that they wouldn’t worry about her before they caught wind of the truth that she won’t be at the town village living or working a normal life there.

As Arty prepared her things, she also packed in the papers that held her secret plans and notes just in case she might forget something crucial or important of the story she’s playing out and about to take on the role of the heroine.

When she was writing these papers, she made sure that they were all in different codes, just in case her grandparents, Emyrie or her mother might see them.

During those years and as time passed by when she wrote them, they all thought it’s some childish gibberish or something. But Arty made sure to hide them away before they started to think otherwise that she might be hiding something from them.

Anyway, she’s all packed and ready now to leave and her grandparents wished her safe travels as she goes to town and had given her a packed lunchbox in case she gets hungry on the way.

Arty appreciated the gesture even though she’s lying to her own family about where she’s actually going.

But this isn’t her real life, this is her story, a story of magic and fantasy--not reality. And it doesn’t help that she somehow became the main character of it, and in the ending, she will die when she fights the enemy.

So she had to mentally repeat in her head that she’s just playing a role here until she discovers something or finds a way to return back to the real modern world.

Arty left, waving goodbye to her family and her friends and she walks down the path heading towards the town, needing to buy some supplies and other necessities for the trip she’s planning to go through.

And so, she embarks on the journey to go through, on finding clues and going through the trials and obstacles to find and retrieve the magical weapon.

Then once she finds it and wields it as its chosen, Arteria Blaze and the Fiery Blade will be ready to tackle the world of Eden by storm and fight against the enemies and evil that plagues it.

*****

*****


	11. CHAPTER 10 - TRIALS OF THE GODDESS

**CHAPTER 10 - TRIALS OF THE GODDESS**

*****

After Arty had said her goodbyes to her family and friends, went down the path and gone straight into town to get more supplies and necessities needed, she looked around after doing that to make sure she didn’t miss anything or might need something else.

As she walked and looked around, her eyes sharp to take in everything in her sight, before she stopped a little when she saw a grand statue that is in front of some kind of church by her right side.

The marble white statue depicted itself of a woman in holy robes but she was hooded and her face was blankly black. This statue woman also holds a staff in one hand and a sword in the other.

Arty instantly knew what or who this statue is. For it is the statue of the Trinity Goddess. The holy religious figure in the world of Eden of her story.

In the story, it is the Trinity Goddess who created all beings both good and evil, light and dark, and everything in between. She is also the one who had created the world of Eden and all of its places as those living in it know it.

This goddess bears many powers of the Eden world, which is not only the four elements, which are fire, water, air, and earth--but also the three greatest ones that are light, dark, and the shadows.

The Trinity Goddess has no name, only those who worship her closely or was chosen as a favored one by her or those who were cursed by her would know the true name of the goddess.

She holds many answers to all beings of the Eden world but also bears many secrets and mysteries to herself. She is also known among the people and her worshippers that she is a blessed and beloved guiding light. Others have known or say that she is the harbinger of darkness and a merciless destroyer. But there are many who have said that she is the judge and executioner of life and death, and she chooses those who will become her true favored or the damned cursed ones under her very will.

About everything you know or do not know of the Trinity Goddess, she is also the one who created the Fiery Blade and had enchanted it to choose its chosen wielder and become her favored one if deemed worthy by going through her trials.

Arteria wasn't that surprised by discovering that she's the favored of the Trinity Goddess, also known as the Grey Goddess.

She knew all along since she created her main character that way and the fact that she made it that the wielders of the Fiery Blade are the favored ones of the goddess since she was the one who created the mystical weapon.

But there is one unpredictable detail in the story she knows that she won’t be able to figure out when she goes on the journey and goes through the goddess’ trials. And that would be the Trinity Goddess herself. Even though she is the writer and creator of that holy character, she hasn’t written much about her, except that she is some sort of neutral kind of goddess that you couldn’t even know or expect to see whether this goddess is really good or evil or she is both.

Though Arty wanted to know more and understand, she knew that she’ll have to learn and discover more about the Trinity Goddess to pass the obstacles and trials laid out for her to get to the magical weapon.

Hopefully, when the time comes for her to meet the goddess however that would be, Arty would be seeing in her good side, because she’s nervous that when she faces her, the goddess might not be in a good mood towards her, even though she’s the future chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade of the story.

So to do that, Arty will have to learn more and decided to get into the church and pay her respects, so that she’ll gain more knowledge about the goddess of the Eden world and her story.

She went to enter the church and do what she needs to do obtain more information and knowledge about the goddess before she sets off, leaving the town, and going on her journey to find the magic blade.

Arty knew that going through the Trials of the Goddess is going to be difficult, but she’s determined to see it through and fight on so that she’ll be able to take the role as the heroine of the story and find a way back to her real home in the modern real world.

*****

*****


	12. CHAPTER 11 - THE FAVORED AND THE CURSED

**CHAPTER 11 - THE FAVORED AND THE CURSED**

*****

Just as Arty went inside, she couldn’t stop but stand by at the entrance gazing around in wonder and awe at the beautiful sight of the church she has entered into.

All around her, the building structure inside seemed to be bigger from the outside and it is all colored in beautiful combinations of pure white, gold, and silver in an intricate Celtic-like design.

In all of the windows inside the church, there are beautiful colorful glass designs, depicting each one of the images of the Trinity Goddess in all her glory.

Some would show of the goddess’ kind and good side, her reaching out to her favored to show them hope, her touching some heads of the favored to heal them, and some of her spreading her arms out to show the favored and the people of the magnificence of her enlightened godly being.

But then some of the glass window designs show her the bad and fearsome side, her striking her enemies both mortal or inhuman with a bolt of lightning or a fiery wave, her casting punishing curses to those who were judged by her and have deserved it, and her seemingly dressed in the appearance of grim reaper robes as if she’s coming for your untimely instant deaths.

Finally, some glass designs show her the neutral side, where you can’t predict whether it is good or evil. Some show her in hooded grey robes and holding a fading lighted lantern to guide those who are lost and go through a grey misty plain. Some show her in the same hooded dark robes in the middle of two kinds of people who are the good and the bad and looked as if judging them first before making a final decision where they would go. And finally, some show her of looming over the dead people as if judging them to see whether they should truly lie amongst the dead or be risen again among the living.

All the images depicted on the glass designed windows were wondrous, yet at the same time, eerie and creepy. But from the looks of the people that are visiting in and out of the church, they didn’t seem to be disturbed on having these kinds of images engraved on the windows of the building and the worshippers seemed to be praising the pictures as if the Trinity Goddess is truly great and just amongst all the kinds of beings in the world of Eden.

Just as Arty had looked around and seemed to be a bit hesitant to sit down on a pew and make a prayer, since this is her first time and everything, deep down she knows that she’s not that much of a worshipper to the Trinity Goddess since she still does not know much about her.

But as she was thinking of this, she didn’t notice that one of the people of the holy church had noticed her and approached her kindly to help her out or something.

“Is there something I can help you with, miss?” the one who asked her is a priestess.

Arty was a bit startled on being caught surprised by someone slightly sneaking up behind her and she turned to face her with a little nervous smile on her face.

“I’m sorry, I was just looking around,” Arty said. “It’s my first time being here and I’d like to know more about the Trinity Goddess.”

However, her curious inquiries got the priestess to frown and looked at her as if judging her by her appearance.

Arty was a bit curious and confused about why the priestess is looking with judgment like that until she saw the slight glinting in her eyes.

She managed to make herself look calm and steady when she realized that she has the magical eyes that can see through anything, including truth and lies, gifted by the Trinity Goddess herself.

‘ _Great, of all the people who are favored by the goddess--I get the one who’s gifted with the magic lie-detecting eyes_.’ Arty thought to herself as she waited for the priestess to stop studying her like a new specimen on a jar.

When the priestess seemed like she couldn’t find anything that is distrusting about her, she asked her blankly. “And may I ask what kind of knowledge you seek about the goddess, miss?”

With that question, Arteria didn't hesitate to give her the answer easily. She knew that the priestess is assessing her closely with her gifted all-seeing magic eyes to see whether she’s lying or not.

“I have heard so many stories and tales about her. And I would like to know more to understand why she is known to be the Trinity Goddess. I’m aiming to be a traveling scholar, of course. And I thought that the goddess would be a good starting subject for my project.” she answered back to the priestess calmly.

Arty hoped that her slight ‘white lie’ might work as she knew about the goddess’ favored and what she gifts them like the magic eyes, and she knew how to be able to counteract against them since she was once the former writer of the story.

The priestess seemed to believe her and nodded, making her internally relax with relief and the priestess smiled kindly and gestured with a hand to follow her. “Follow me, young one. I will show you some literary works that you can look at and read about our grand goddess.”

Arty smiled widely at this and nodded, and then she followed the priestess as they’re going towards what the place is known to be the holy library and archives.

Arty was very glad to have first met one of the favored ones of the Trinity Goddess. She knew that the only way to find out, learn and discover more about the Trinity Goddess, she’ll have to search out the people who are the favored and the cursed of the goddess.

She knew that the work and tasks that she’ll be going through in searching for answers and making plans will be difficult to complete. But she is determined to get everything all of this done so that she’ll continue on her journey on finding and obtaining the Fiery Blade.

*****

*****


	13. CHAPTER 12 - ARTERIA'S GOALS AND PATHS

**CHAPTER 12 - ARTERIA'S GOALS AND PATHS**

*****

After getting all of the knowledge that she could obtain and get from the church about the Trinity Goddess, Arteria Blaze has managed to learn and know what she needed to have and then left the church late at night with kind and warm goodbyes from the priestess who helped her out.

Arty decided to stay for one night at the inn before she leaves the town and goes on her planned journey.

Fortunately, there weren’t many people around the inn that she’s staying for the night and she used the money to pay for the room she’s renting and also bribing the innkeeper to keep quiet about her staying there.

At first, the innkeeper thought that he might be harboring an enemy fugitive or something but when he looked at her, he thought first that she’s a lonely woman, vulnerable and afraid of someone or something that might be chasing after her so he accepted the bribe and promised to not let anyone know that she was here.

Arty was relieved and thanked him for it and the innkeeper kindly led her to her rented room where she’ll stay and rest. It didn’t take long for the heroine of the story to close her eyes and go to sleep until she wakes up early and plans to leave as soon as possible.

Once the morning dawns of the new day, Arty woke up, refreshed herself and then had gotten ready to leave.

With the decisions and plans already prepared and made, Arty had set off on the road and journey to the place where she believed that the Fiery Blade would be found by her.

Before she does that, she’ll need to be physically and mentally prepared when she gets to her destination there, so she decided to live in the town on the location where the magical weapon might be there, and then stay there for the time being to familiarize herself and to get herself prepared to face against the goddess’ obstacles and trials meant for the chosen wielders of the Fiery Blade.

It took almost three days for her to travel to get and reach to the destination she’s searching for. It was fortunate for Arty that she hasn’t encountered any difficulties or obstacles along the way as she had traveled down the road, though it is a little peculiar that nothing had come to attack her or something.

She wondered about the various creatures that haunt the woods she trekked through or possible bandits that might be prowling and hiding about as she walked through her journey, but so far nothing has come into her way.

Arty wondered whether she has become lucky or it might be the hand of fate itself that’s helping her along in her path to get to her destination. She shrugged it off as if this was all a coincidence and kept on walking until she had reached the end of the road she’s going through.

By the end of the third day, she has traveled long until she had finally reached the place where she’s aiming to go, which is the small town village in the very area where she believed the magic weapon, the Fiery Blade is there.

It was almost sundown at that time and Arty was fortunate that she was wearing a heavy robed cloak and hood to cover herself up and hide her identity for a while as she walked into the quiet simple village.

There aren’t many people about and around as they had already gone to their homes and were going to have their dinner and then rest. Arty was relieved at that so that she wouldn’t have to deal with some nosy people who might be curious about the newcomer that had arrived in their little town.

It wasn’t hard and long for her to find a simple inn for her to stay in the town village and she was also glad that the innkeeper was friendly and kind enough to let her stay long as she needed and accepted her money when she pleaded for her to keep quiet about her arrival and presence there.

The innkeeper was another kind person who understood a bit of her plight. A slightly plump woman who looked to be a motherly widow, who accepted the new person in her inn with warm open arms and promised to not let anyone among her people know about Arty being there.

Arty was happy at this and relieved again, thanking the innkeeper profusely and making the woman chuckle at her humble gratefulness. The innkeeper led her to where her room is, where it is private and secluded enough for anyone else not to dare venture there, even if they’re curious enough to look.

Arty thanked her again and the inn-woman just smiled warmly at her before she left her alone in her new room. Arty looked around with satisfaction at the simple room she’s staying in for the time being before she settled in and laid out her things but didn’t put all of them out in case she needed to leave in a hurry.

Once she has done that, the innkeeper had come back to give her food for her dinner and Arty smiled to her gratefully and thanked her again but when she tried to pay for it, the plump woman refused her and told her that it’s on the house.

Arty didn’t want to freeload like this but she knew that woman was stubborn with her decisions so she let her as she accepted the tray of food from her hands.

She nodded to the innkeeper and she had left again, leaving Arty to eat her dinner and finish it so that she’ll put the tray with empty dishes outside her door to be retrieved.

After she had taken her meal, she settled down on the comfy bed and lied down to stare up the ceiling with deep thoughtful eyes.

She’s wondering about what kind of tasks or things that she needs to do, to prepare herself in the future to search and retrieve the Fiery Blade and take on the role of the future heroine of the story.

It isn’t a guarantee that it would be easy, but all of Arteria’s goals and paths are important to fulfill so that she’ll be able to find ways into completing the other plans she had made, and finding and discovering ways on how to get back to her real home in the modern world without dying at the end of the story.

Arty doesn’t feel very sure about this to herself but she is determined and courageous enough to fight against anything that would endanger her life and go through many hardships to fulfill all of her goals and missions in the story as its main lead character.

*****

*****


	14. CHAPTER 13 - SLAVERS AND FREEDOM FIGHTERS

**CHAPTER 13 - SLAVERS AND FREEDOM FIGHTERS**

*****

Arty spent almost another three days inside the little village town she’s staying in, planning to be ready and preparing herself to whatever tasks or goals that she needed to do, to search for the magical weapon and become the future heroine.

Firstly, of course, she’ll need to find some ways to train herself as a good warrior and fight better in the battles she will face in the future once she finds the Fiery Blade.

That and also it would help her be able to overcome and pass the trials laid out from the Trinity Goddess if it turns out that some of the trials she might face will be about fighting.

Secondly, she’ll need to find and discover more knowledge about the world she’s in, despite that she was the creator and writer of it and its story so that she’ll be able to learn and understand deeply more about it and be able to adapt in living in it.

Lastly, she’ll have to learn and discover about the other characters that are pertinent and needed in the story she had written about, besides the main leading ones. She knew that with their help, then they’ll be able to defeat the Mad King together along with the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade and unite when the time comes.

She will need to remember what she can and recap where the other characters might be once she had retrieved the Fiery Blade, help out with their problems and try to persuade them to join her in the future rebellion against the crazy king that had tyrannized and terrorized the center capital of the world of Eden.

Speaking of which, about the crazy Mad King’s tyranny over the central capital, it looks like Arty might get one of her plans to bear fruit and it will come true by the next day as she was making her ideas and doing her planning about what she’ll do.

In the early morning at the shining sunrise, Arty had woken up a bit groggily from her sleep when she heard the birds chirping their day song and then she slowly got off her bed and went to refresh herself so that she would get out from the inn and go somewhere private and secluded to train herself to fight.

As she had gone down the stairs, she stopped a little when she heard voices and hide back to the shadows to listen to the conversation quietly.

They were talking with the innkeeper and apparently, they’re talking about spotting some slavers that were roaming about in the woods near the village and became worried that the hostile people among them might choose to invade the town and enslave some of their people.

They talked in a worried and fearful tone of voices as they said that they also noticed that the group of slavers had the engraved symbol from the Mad King and became concerned that the tyrant king was so heartlessly cruel to even sanction such a group and let them loose out there to enslave people, both humans and other creatures alike.

As Arty has heard all of this, she almost forgot about this part of the story that she had written to, and she was surprised to feel enraged upon hearing that slavers are somewhere near here.

She figured that it must be her main character to act this way since she’s the noble and heroic leading character in the story after all.

Nevertheless, she had found her chance to train herself to fight and battle now that there are nearby enemies.

After the people who talked with the innkeeper had left, she sneakily tiptoed down and left without letting the innkeeper know that she is gone until it was too late to stop her and warn her of the dangers that are nearing into the woods by the town village.

Arty was amazed that no one had seen her when she sneaked out of the town and went straight into the woods where the slavers were spotted, but then again, they were busy worrying about the news that the slaving enemies were near, it’s like they went inside their houses and locked themselves in to be safe from the threats out there.

By the time that Arty had gone out with the weapons she had brought along, that is a small sword and dagger with her, and had made it into the dark deep forests, she started to search through the woods and find what she’s looking for--which is the slavers that she’s meaning to use them as practice for herself to fight against.

It didn’t take long for her to find them, but then they must be stupid enough to think that they are safe hiding out in the woods when they didn’t know that someone had already spotted them.

Arty scoped out the situation and saw that there were about a few men, all of them looking big and strong and meanly sturdy kinds. Then she saw that they have slaves in carriage cages that looked to be ready to be shipped off to parts unknown and be enslaved to the worst kinds of masters that will get them.

She saw that there was a combination mixture of abducted humans, elves, shapeshifters, and beast-people alike, from the ranging ages of middle elderly to the youngest children.

Arty felt enraged and furious again when she saw this but she managed to calm herself and think of a plan on how to deal with the enemies and save the innocent beings that were enslaved.

She was glad to see that the few slavers gathered around the campfire were distracted to themselves, trying to get themselves warm from the cold weather that’s breezing from the dark forests.

And she saw that the cages were far away from the slavers so that she’ll save them first before fighting against the enemies.

With that short plan made, Arty went off to do so, going straight towards the cages and ready to free them.

She sneaked in quiet as she could like the wind and when she had made it, she instantly made a quiet gesture when one of the enslaved children had spotted her and was about to cry out in surprise.

The elf child managed to quiet herself by her silencing gesture but then her mother noticed already and then the elf woman’s eyes widened on seeing her and understood that she came to free them when she took out her dagger and used it as a lock-pick against the padlock on the cage they’re in.

Soon, all of the enslaved beings have noticed Arty and they became quiet as well and watched her as she hurriedly tried to unlock the cages to free them all.

She managed to break out two of the cages and gestured the freed slaves to run to the forests for safety and be hidden for a while and they followed her orders as they went off.

Arty almost grunted out loud in surprise when one or two freed children hugged her legs in thanks for freeing them before they joined their parents to run into the woods.

Arty continued with her task to free the others but when she was about to come near the last cage that’s holding a group of beast-people on them, a half-human half-pig squealed in alarm at her and Arty quickly reacted and turned around with a fatal stabbing strike from her dagger in her hands when she suddenly sensed someone about to attack her from behind.

She almost vomited at the sight that she strikes true at one of the slavers that were about to attack her with an ax and her dagger plunged right at his throat, and he died falling down with a bloody gurgle from her stabbing strike.

Arty held back her nausea before she heard footsteps running towards her and she readied herself to fight against them, but then when the other slavers came running to her direction, she was surprised and stunned at the sight she’s seeing right now.

At first, she thought that she somehow got the attention of the slavers when she was freeing the slaves, but it turns out that they were being attacked by what looked to be freedom fighters who had come to free the slaves, but she got there first.

She realized that the slavers were about to get to the slaves and use them as hostages, but they didn’t realize that all the beings they have abducted and enslaved were gone until they stopped in a halt and saw the empty cages, except the last one with the beast-people in it.

Before the slavers were about to react and then make a move to attack Arty who was the one responsible for freeing them, the freedom fighters struck first, attacking them from behind when they got distracted from seeing the empty cages and then killed all of the slavers until there was none left.

Once the group of freedom fighters has finished, they turned and stared at Arty who tensed on their gazes looking at her with an eerie caution.

But then one of the beast-people, a wolfman started barking and howling to the freedom fighters, telling them that Arty is a good guy and was the one who had saved them and freed them.

It relieved Arty completely that the group believed him and they relaxed and nodded to her in thanks for her help to freeing the slaves.

A few hours later, the freedom fighters and Arty went to free the beast-people and get them out of their cages, then the other freedom fighters went off to pick up the hiding freed slaves and Arty directed them to where they run off to so that they’ll get them. By the time, the group has gathered around and were preparing to leave and send the freed slaves back to wherever they had come from, Arty decided to take a chance and asked for the fighters’ help to train her to fight.

Even though she lost her chance with the slavers to get herself some fighting training, she wouldn’t lose this other opportunity to learn to fight. It was fortunate or her good luck that the freedom fighters accepted her request. So right now, she’s riding alongside the group of freedom fighters and freed slaves, riding on horse-pulling carts and going to some other place unknown that would send the freed slaves back to their homelands.

Arty had never thought that on the same day she would be meeting and dealing with slavers and freedom fighters at the same time in her course on trying to train herself to be a better fighter.

Hopefully, now that she was accepted with open arms from the group of freedom fighters when they had come and seen her freeing the slaves and saving them, then they would be able to teach her more to fight better and hone the skills that she needs for battle in the future.

She wondered what’s in store for her wherever they are going and what or who she might face when they get there.

*****

*****


	15. CHAPTER 14 - ALLIANCES AND TRAINING

**CHAPTER 14 - ALLIANCES AND TRAINING**

*****

Arty/Arteria Blaze helped out the freedom fighters into getting the freed slaves to the ocean ports where they will be sent off in ships that will sail them back to their homelands around the continent.

Arty learned that to get them back through the roads of the land is too dangerous and that the threats of the slavers are still out there since they have been sanctioned of their illegal activities from the Mad King of the central capital of the continent of Eden world.

That and the freed slaves at the time before they were about to be shipped off, they had demanded to the freedom fighters that Arty should come along and be there to send them off with goodbyes for they wanted their savior to be there for them as they all went back home.

So at the edge of the port and Arty watched them all the freed slaves come aboard into the ships and waving them goodbyes, she was smiling also when some of the children hugged her legs affectionately and thanked her again for saving them.

Arty indulged the kids, feeling very happy inside of doing her first good deed as the heroine, and ruffled some of the kids’ heads to return their affectionate gestures to her.

Then their parents called for them that it’s time to leave now, and a few of the children complained and didn’t want to go and leave their hero behind, but Arty reassured them all that one day she’ll see them again in the future and that they should all go home and be careful and safe from now on from any enemies they might encounter, including the slavers.

Once she sees all the freed people on their ships and watches them leave into the vast horizon of the sea, after that they are gone and then she slowly turned around to look at the remaining freedom fighters who had stayed behind in their mission to deal with more slavers and free others in that area she’s in.

Arty and the group of freedom fighters looked to be like they’re all thinking about what to do.

Arty seemed to be wondering and hoping whether she would be able to persuade them to accept her alliance despite that she’s just a normal person and have not found the Fiery Blade and became known as its chosen wielder, and the group of freedom fighters is wondering about what to do with this new stranger who made the effort on saving and freeing the slaves and had killed one slaver back then.

The group of freedom fighters suddenly tensed as if they sensed something approach and instantly they moved to split themselves into two rows and kneel in respect for a new person that had arrived on horseback and walk through them in the middle to approach the lone woman at the end, and from what Arty can see or deduce, this must be the leader of the group.

Arty got herself to be calm and quiet and face the newcomer bravely without fear as the person who looked to be a man garbed in dark black clothes and a hood covering over his face, dismounted from his horse and prowled towards her like a panther stalking his new prey curiously.

She almost stiffened and froze up in fear when she sensed some kind of shadowy aura emanating from his whole being. And for a moment, she thought that this mortal man is actually some kind of magical being of sorts.

It turns out her thoughts were right when the hooded covered face rose a little for her to catch sight of his eyes that seemed to shift and turn into different colors from an eerie green to an icy blue type.

‘ _A shape-shifter. I never thought I’d get the chance to meet one already_.’ Arty thought to herself mentally as she bravely faced the shape-shifting being of a male that’s facing her down and trying to intimidate her to reveal her true nature or something.

Arty remembered that when she wrote in the story, one of the magical creatures and beings she had created and written were the infamous and mysterious shape-shifters.

They are beings that could shift their forms into any kind of beings, from human to elves, from beast-people of the lands to merpeople of the waters, and from changing their solid strong bodies into wispy ghost-like forms of shadows.

The hooded shape-shifter kept staring down at Arty as if trying to assess her for a moment before he spoke to her in a dark tone that almost sent cold shivers down her spine. “Why are you here? What is your purpose?”

Arty figured that the group he’s leading have not sent word or told him of her good deeds that she had done before so she told him everything and made sure that everything she said sounded honest and true. For she also remembered that the shape-shifters are also skilled lie-detectors.

Once she had told him this, the hooded man stared down at her even more for intimidation and when he seemed to deem her trustworthy and have approved of her being there, he nodded.

It made Arty almost slump with relief in the outside of her whole body, but she managed to hold it back herself so that she wouldn’t give out any suspicions into the freedom fighter leader that she has ulterior motives or something.

Then she took the chance to ask him. “I would like to request a simple thing from you, good sir. And if you refuse this, then I will understand and leave you and your group be and you will never see me again.”

The leader tilted his head to the side as if curious with what her request would be and Arty hurriedly speaks it out before she becomes nervous and not say it. “I would like to learn more about how to fight better and I’m hoping that you could give me some training about it. I’m aiming to become a warrior in the future. It is why I have come here to this area, hoping to find something that would better my skills in fighting.”

He blinked a bit in surprise at her simple request and then nodded to her again as if accepting it and he and his group will help her and train her to become a better fighter.

Arty was happy about being accepted and having alliances and training with the freedom fighters. It looks like that she’ll be spending some time staying with them for a while, so she’ll have to hurry to get back to the village, pick up her stuff and come back before they might change their minds and leave her behind.

She wondered again what’s in store for her in the future as she stays with the group of allies she had first made successfully and thought about what kind of training she’ll go through to be skilled as a warrior that she will be in the story.

*****

*****


	16. CHAPTER 15 - STORIES AND FRIENDSHIPS

**CHAPTER 15 - STORIES AND FRIENDSHIPS**

*****

After Arty had gone to the village to get her stuff and quickly return to join the group of freedom fighters, they set off to another destination somewhere in the forests where they might be going to find more slavers that are hiding there, or they are going to their main campsite where there are more freedom fighters.

Even though it’s a long walk, Arty didn’t mind the exercise as she could use the leg-work and work on it a little more in the future when she needs to run swiftly on her feet.

By the time it’s almost sundown, Arty and the freedom fighters have arrived at a secluded campsite where she could see that there are more of the freedom group members.

She looked around to see where she might set up the camping tent that she had prepared and brought along, but the leader of the freedom fighters had approached her, that she was slightly surprised that she didn’t hear or sense him coming near her.

Arty looked at the hooded man curiously on what he wants before he removed his hood to show his face to her.

It looked like that this shape-shifting man, who is the leader of the freedom fighters, chose to take on a human form of an African-like male with a bald hairless head and beady yellowish hawk-like eyes that seem to gaze at her as if trying to peer into her soul.

Then he spoke in a soft voice in a distinguished foreign accent. “You can camp beside my tent. Your training will start on the next day in the early morning.”

Arty nodded dimly to him in thanks and she followed the leader to where his tent is. As she followed behind him, she seemed to be wondering where she had seen his human face before, for she suddenly felt some kind of familiarity from him or something.

The leader’s tent was very huge, enough to fit in more people inside for a private meeting of his group and the leader himself.

Then he directed with a hand gesture to take the empty spot at the right side from his tent and Arty nodded to him again in thanks before she set up her campsite.

By the time she was finished with setting up her tent and putting her stuffed bag inside, she was invited by one of the freedom fighters to come to their circle by the fire and join his friends in sharing stories.

Arty loved to so she accepted the invitation and followed the freedom fighter where he led her kindly to the circle where his other friends are.

She sat down on one of the rocks that were laid out around in a circle of the fire burning that will give them heat from the night’s chilly winds. Then she waited and listened attentively as the freedom fighters take a turn on telling a story each.

One tells a small story of a fable where an arrogant elf has learned his lesson that he is not the fastest and skillful magical being of all when the elf made the mistake on challenging a crafty stout dwarf to an obstacle race and in the end, the cunning dwarf won with his wits and crafting skills to outsmart the elf.

When another freedom fighter had his turn, he tells a sad but romantic story of a shape-shifting man who traveled far and wide to find the greatest treasure to win the heart of a mortal woman he fell in love with. But in the end, through all hard and difficult trials that he has gone through and gained scars at the end of his journey, he found out that the mortal woman he had fallen in love with was shallow and vain, and he didn’t return to win his love even though he had already found the treasure he had been seeking for but was heartbroken when he heard the news that the mortal woman he had given his heart to, has found someone else when he left and married him for his wealth and riches.

Arty almost cried at the sad story and felt for the poor shape-shifter man who had traveled and journeyed this kind just to earn someone’s love.

When the other fighter took his turn, this time he decided to make his romantic story into a good one from the saddening story his comrade had shared, for the story is about a mermaid captured by a selfish human and was imprisoned for entertainment to his people. The mermaid had fought and struggled to break free of her prison, but she failed every time and the selfish human took the mermaid far away from where there will be no waters that she could escape to and go back home to the oceans where she came from. In despair, the mermaid thought that she was done for, until she caught the sight of the eyes of the same shape-shifting man whose heart was broken from the mortal woman from his companion’s story, saw the captured mermaid and both of them fell in love at first sight for their similar plights. In the end, the shape-shifter managed to free the mermaid and brought her home to the oceans, then together they become mates for life and the shape-shifter took on the form as one of the merpeople to be with the mermaid forever.

His comrade who told the sad story was a bit glad and happy that his friend made his story a good one better than this and they exchanged smiles to each other, which made Arty almost think that the two male freedom fighters are a couple or something.

Arty smiled as she listened to each of the freedom fighters as they share their own stories to unify the friendship around them. She was also included to share her story and she made sure that it’s also a good one for them to listen to as she quickly thought of and made up a short story about a normal mortal man, who became a hero to all magical creatures by saving them from being enslaved by an evil mortal king, is being gifted by a magical sword which the hero has proved himself worthy to wield it by going through the trials that he has to pass to show that he’s a good person. In the end, the hero had won and had defeated the evil king, even sacrificing his life at the end, to ensure the freedom for the magical creatures that were about to be enslaved by the evil villain’s rule.

Arty knew that the story she had told to the other freedom fighters is almost exactly similar to the story she has created and about to do the role in when she becomes the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade and becomes the future heroine of the story. The other freedom fighters didn’t notice some unusual or strangeness from the story she has shared and told them as they loved it and exchanged friendly gestures to her as they praised her story.

Arty was very glad of sharing and hearing the stories and friendships that she has made with some of the freedom fighters.

She was in wonder that the characters in her story that she created seem to have such feelings that make them alive, but then again this is the fantasy fictional world that she had made of her own imaginative creation.

She wonders what other surprises are in store for her in the future as she goes on her journey with the freedom fighters in her lone mission to train herself as a warrior and preparing herself physically and mentally for the future trials she must face retrieving the magical Fiery Blade.

*****

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	17. CHAPTER 16 - THE BEGINNING OF HER TRAINING

**CHAPTER 16 - THE BEGINNING OF HER TRAINING**

*****

In the encampment of the freedom fighters on the first days for Arty staying with them, her training to be a better warrior had started.

Arty had woken up from some noise outside her tent and after she cleaned and dressed herself up, she came out and saw that some of the freedom fighters were training themselves or sparring to hone their fighting skills.

One of them, who looked to be one of the leading trainers, had noticed me and then approached me so that she would start my training and join with the others and become a good fighter.

Arty didn’t mind even if it turned out that she might result in being mediocre in fighting, but she’ll need to learn much so that she could defend herself and fight in the future whenever she needed it or not.

It will depend on the severity of the story’s situation of the heroine’s role whether she needed some serious level training or not.

In any case, Arty took her first steps into the first days of her training. Everything that she needs to learn on fighting, from hand-to-hand combat, mixed martial arts and then the use of weaponry in hand.

It was fortunate that all of the elite and veteran freedom fighters have known all kinds of fighting arts, and Arty will make sure that she will learn every one of those kinds, even if she fails or does not succeed in some of them.

First, she took on the hand fighting styles for the first few days in her time staying with the freedom fighters.

Sure, she had suffered some bruises and bumps while being thrown down or hit as she fought against her sparring opponent, but she managed to learn quickly and counter back until the trainer stopped her and announced that she had passed.

The next style of fighting is hand fighting with a small melee weapon in hand, like a dagger, knife or a small weapon of sorts. Again, she caught some cuts and bruising again on her body as more days passed by until the time came that she passed her training in that fighting style with small weapons and then she moved on to the next one again.

This time, it was fighting with swords and shields. It was difficult maneuvering those weapons while trying to mix some leg-fighting moves or maneuvers, but Arty managed to succeed much as she could until the trainer announced that she passed again.

She took a break for herself to recover from her body bruising, hits and wounds until she got her full strength and continues again to the next fighting level.

The next fighting style she needed to be training in and learning, is that she’ll need to sharpen her other senses and try to fight while being blindfolded.

She’ll need to practice and meditate on this before she tries to fight blind with the others on that particular special training.

It took about three whole days for her to perfect and hone her other senses a little before she decided to take a chance into learning and training herself in that unique level of fighting.

Granted, some of the other freedom fighters were hesitant and dubious of her that Arty might not be able to pull it off. But they have seen her determination throughout the whole time she had been training, that she is determined to see this through everything.

Even their own leader of the freedom fighting group was impressed at her tenacity and relentlessness towards her trying to become a better fighter, which she is doing not for glory or wealth--but just for herself.

So it started again and Arty was ready and she was given a long wooden staff that is the weapon she’ll be using to defend herself once she starts her training into trusting her other sharp senses and instincts and fighting blind.

Arty stood still for a moment, listening keenly at the silent tension before she heard and sensed movement.

She quickly deflected with the wooden staff she held from behind when something was about to hit her back and succeeded.

Then she threw the strike off and then turned around swiftly to blindly face her unknown attacker from behind until she sensed something else about to attack her again but from beside her.

She moved swiftly and blocked another blow or strike from her left side and then threw the attacker off and backed away, her other senses seemed to be growing sharper as she keeps relying on them more.

Then she felt movement coming at her by the vibrations she’s feeling beneath her feet and she instantly ducked and roll when two or three fighters tried to tackle her over but missed.

Just as she stood up straight and was about to ready herself in fighting stance position when she missed something that was coming at her from the front and she fell right on her back with a sound grunt when she got hit by something right at her gut.

Arty groaned as she carefully stood back up on her feet and readied her staff again to face her opponent. She knew that this is only half of the beginning of her training and that it will be a difficult time for her, but she knew that she’ll have to endure with all of her determination and effort so that she’ll become the greatest warrior in the future and play the role as the heroine of the story.

*****

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	18. CHAPTER 17 - MORE TRAINING AND THE FIRST TASK

**CHAPTER 17 - MORE TRAINING AND THE FIRST TASK**

*****

Almost a month has passed by and time flies so fast, that it surprised Arteria Blaze, also calling herself Arty when she found out about it as she stayed with the group of freedom fighters for the training she needs to be a better fighter and good warrior.

She tries to do her best to learn and know everything that she can from the training and being good at fighting. Though she did plan on not being too good or a bit mediocre to fight and defend herself, she is determined to try all of her best to do so.

Just as she finished another fighting level that consists of alternating between the use of spear and dagger in a battle, the training was stopped for a moment from the leader of the freedom fighters who came and interrupted it.

The freedom fighter trainer bowed in respect to his leader while Arty nodded and bowed her head a little too before the leader nodded back to them. Then the leader told the trainer to leave the Arty and him alone for a moment and the trainer walked off, leaving them behind and alone in the clearing where they’re standing nearby the edge of the forest.

Arty wondered about what the leader needed something from her and then he spoke first and she listened to what he’s saying attentively.

“I had watched you the whole time you were training with my fighters. I have to admit that I’m impressed with your tenacity and determination,” he remarked to her, making her blush a bit at the slight praising words he told her. “But you still have a long way to go on becoming a good warrior, young lady.”

His latter sentence disappointed her a bit but Arty didn’t mind as she is going to give it all her best to keep on training and fighting better.

But then Arty tensed a bit when he said the next thing that she didn’t expect him to say. “But until you continue with your training, there are a series of tasks that I need to test you with before you want to try continuing with this endeavor to make yourself into a great fighter.”

She was nervous at what the tasks are that the leader said he needed to test her for something or what. She couldn’t ask him out loud and let him continue to speak about it.

The leader somehow could sense her nervousness and told her a bit reassuring. “You can relax for you need a few more days with your training, but about a week from now, you will be facing the first of the many tasks that you must complete and I will see if you pass the tests that you are worthy to keep staying with the freedom fighting group and continue your training with us. Understood?”

Arty almost gave out a sigh of relief on hearing this that she got a little more time to prepare herself for what’s coming and she nodded to the leader that she understands which satisfied him of her answer.

She could tell that the leader had expected at first that she was going to refuse about the tasks, but he was surprised again and also impressed at her bravery on coming forward to be tested so that she would stay with them for a long while.

He turned around and left her alone and the trainer that was teaching her before the leader came, had returned and then continued with the fighting training with Arty.

Though Arty looked like she’s now distracted on her thoughts about what the leader had told her and everything, she focused on finishing the training she’s going through for the day and then think about it after they’re finished.

Unfortunately, it almost took them a long time for them to be finished because somehow Arty got slightly distracted and absentminded over her and the leader’s previous conversation, that she couldn’t focus at all on the training she’s doing now and it almost worried or frustrated the trainer that’s teaching her.

The trainer had swung his staff and hit her once more as she fell back on the ground as it’s almost sundown for the day.

Arty groaned as she carefully moved her aching tired body to get up once more and keep on fighting again while trying to shake off the thoughts running in her head and distracting her as she tries her best to finish the training and then go rest for the day before the time gets late at night.

She knew that she’ll have to endure more training and the first task that she’ll need to be prepared for once she is done and finished with everything that she needed to know, both physically and mentally.

Arty wondered to herself what’s in store for her after her training and thought about the task that she’s about to face in the future.

*****

*****


	19. CHAPTER 18 - PREPARING FOR THE TASKS AND TESTS

**CHAPTER 18 - PREPARING FOR THE TASKS AND TESTS**

*****

Just as the future heroine of the story, Arteria Blaze had known about the first task that she’ll need to take and pass the tests to prove herself to the group of freedom fighters, Arty gave it all her best to train herself more and prepare herself for what’s to come at her.

She managed to shake off the thoughts and distractions that she was having inside her head, and wholly focused on more of her training that she needs to go through before the testing task had come at her at the right time the leader of the freedom fighters announces it so.

She didn’t know what kind of task it will be or the tests she’ll need to pass on because the leader kept it quiet to himself and the other freedom fighters also was silent about it and didn’t give her any clue or hint about what it is.

Arty knew that she’s doing this to prove herself as she had said before so that they’ll decide whether she could stay with them or not in the future.

So she has to be fully prepared over what she’s going to face and hope that she’ll succeed and pass it to prove her worthiness. And so Arty continued with her training and tried her best to be ready for it.

It was another few days later, almost ending in another week, as Arty went on training herself and then the trainer that was teaching and helping her stopped for a moment, which confused her a little since it’s not over yet.

She got her answer on why the trainer stopped is because there were about two to three other freedom fighters approaching them and then one of them was taking in hushed whispers that they want to talk to Arty privately for a moment and then she’ll come back and resume her training.

The trainer looked between the freedom fighters and Arty a bit suspicious and worried, but he trusted them and then left them alone.

Arty started to think curiously and in confusion on what the three freedom fighters want to talk to her about alone, and then one of the trios had spoken to her first and she became a little surprised on hearing that the voice is female, for she hasn’t met a girl freedom fighter yet when she had stayed and trained among them.

“Why are you so determined to stay and get on with this training?” the freedom fighter asked and she looked curiously at her.

“Yes, and why did you accept the challenge from our leader that you will take on the tasks that he’ll be testing you of?” another one had asked, this one sounded like a young teenage male.

Arty knew that she had to be careful in her answers to respond to their questions, and she had to be very careful when she does because she can tell by a first glance that the third one is regarding her suspiciously like she’s an enemy among them instead of their friend.

She replied to their questions and made sure she looked as honest and truthful as she could. “As I had said before to your leader, I wish to train myself to become a better fighter. Not for myself, but to help other people. I had realized this with my lack of skills, despite that I manage to succeed in freeing the other slaves before, but I knew that I had to be prepared myself so that I can do it again in the future, and also be well-equipped and skilled for it.”

She saw that all three of them looked like they don’t believe her at first so she continued speaking. “I know that I may not look like it and all and that I know that I’m just a normal person and everything but--I want to make a difference in the world and have a purpose to help out others. That’s all I want to do in my life, nothing more.”

After she had said this, the three freedom fighters seem to start to believe her and were satisfied with her answers, so they nodded with respect at Arty’s answers and then left her alone, which behind their backs she gave out a soft whooshing sigh of relief.

Once the three freedom fighters have left, the trainer came back, to return to Arty and resume the training. And Arty focused on finishing this and think on it later about her talk with those three freedom fighters.

As Arty was preparing for the tasks and tests that she will be going through very soon, she’ll have to be fully prepared and anticipate whatever might come at her once that time comes. She wondered what kind of tests or something that she needs to pass on the first task as she readies herself to face it.

And hopefully, she might be accepted among the freedom fighters if chances are that she might pass and succeed on the first task that she’ll be tested on.

*****

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	20. CHAPTER 19 - THE FIRST TASK, TEST OF TRUTH

**CHAPTER 19 - THE FIRST TASK, TEST OF TRUTH**

*****

The day had come, for the very time that Arteria Blaze, the future heroine of the story, to go through the first and one of the tasks she will be tested on and try to pass to stay on and continue living with the group of freedom fighters so that she’ll become a great fighter or warrior in the future.

Granted, Arty didn’t know exactly when the day would have come even though she’s been preparing herself for it. But nevertheless, it felt almost normal and human for her to be nervous about what kind of task that she’s going to be partaking on and try her best to succeed.

She had been busy focusing on the training, that she was glad that she wasn’t waiting around anxiously on when the day comes for the first task she’ll be going through. She was approached by the leader of the freedom fighters and told her straight that it is time and Arty was a little surprised that she felt some small tension in herself when it’s now time to face her first task.

She took a deep breath to calm herself and felt slightly ready to face whatever is going to come at her for the task she’ll be tested for. The leader had led her to somewhere deep inside the thick forest they had been living in next to it on the grassy clearing they made their campsite on, and Arty wondered what could be in the forest for the leader to lead her on, and at first, she thought that she might face against and fight magic creatures or something in it.

However, she was a little relieved to see that it’s not the case or the task she’ll be taking on when the leader had gotten her to another clearing, except this one is completely fogged over with a thick smoky gray mist, that you cannot see everything ahead of you or all around.

She wondered why the clearing is like this with its gray fog mist and she didn’t notice that the leader had stopped and she had moved forward subconsciously until she’s now somewhere in the middle of the place she’s in.

When she finally noticed that the leader wasn’t beside her anymore, she turned around and looked back to see if he’s there but almost to her alarm and sudden fear, she couldn’t see him anymore for her whole surroundings somehow engulfed her all around with the gray misty fog.

But then she heard the leader speak aloud to her, and she couldn’t discern which direction his voice is coming from.

“Your first task is to stay there where you’re standing in this clearing of the Valley of Mists. With the weapons in your hands that you have now, you will not strike at anything that will come at you unless you can deduce wisely that whatever it is will not come to harm you. The task that you need to pass is that you need to know the truth between what’s real or illusion, what is friend or foe--if you can solve this--then you have passed the test. You have only three hours to complete your task. Good luck, young one.”

With that loudly said to her, Arty can easily tell that she’s now alone with whatever threats or dangers might be that is in the foggy mist-covered clearing with her. She tried to figure out what the leader meant by what he said to her, but then she didn’t have the time to think more about it when she was suddenly struck at something that was flying at her like a ghost or something.

She felt a passing hit and kick at her back, and she nearly fell face forward on the ground but she managed to stay on standing up her feet as she swiftly drew out her sword from her sheath and then turned around to face whatever it was that attacked her.

But she didn’t see anything, nor does she see the attacker at all, and she was almost frightened until either by adrenaline rush or a sudden flash of inspiration in her head, she realized instantly what her first task is and understood what the leader had said.

This is not just some ordinary task she’ll need to succeed nor is it an ordinary test she’ll need to pass. She instantly realized that this is a test to discern the truth! A test of truth itself!

It means that Arty has to figure out whatever attacker might come at her, she has to differentiate whether it was real or an illusion, and also figure out whether the attacker is a friend or a foe.

And the task she has to do is not strike at anything that is an illusion and one who is a friend.

Now that she knows what she’s up against, she used her keen and acute senses she managed to hone her skills on during her training and she was glad that she was focused on passing her test of this first task she’s on that she got distracted a little and didn’t take note how much time seem to go so fast and gone by.

By the time, she had passed the test and did not strike at any attacker which is both illusion and friendly that came at her, there was the familiar shout from the leader and everything stopped coming at Arty for the task is over and she had done it and succeeded.

Almost like magic, the misty fog dispersed and cleared the clearing she was on and she could see that it was some of the freedom fighters who were the ones that had attacked and tested her. And she was glad to see that she passed when she realized that she had to rely on her senses and instincts to discern the truth between the two things for the first task.

The leader approached her, gave her praise and congratulated her on passing the task and the test she was facing on. The freedom fighters that were there for her test also gave her more praises and congratulations, commending her and approving her with respect for succeeding in the first task. Arty smiled over this and just brush off the praises for she was only glad that she had passed.

After Arty had passed and succeeded the first task, test of truth which it is called and known for, she wondered what are the next type of tasks in the future that she will be tested on. And hopefully that once she passes them all, she will be worthy to stay among the freedom fighters and prove her place among them.

*****

*****


	21. CHAPTER 20 - THE SECOND TASK, THE TEST OF STRENGTH

**CHAPTER 20 - THE SECOND TASK, THE TEST OF STRENGTH**

*****

After Arteria Blaze or Arty as she is nicknamed, had passed the first task and test that she managed to succeed at, despite that after she had done the task, she obtained a few bruises and felt a little rattled and shaken from the experience of the test.

A few days later that had gone by again, which gave her a bit more time to prepare herself for the next task, the leader approached her again like before and led her to another place by their main campsite so that she will now go through the next one she’ll be tested on.

This time, it is not another misty clearing like before, but in another part of the forest with so many trees around them when the leader led Arty to the place of her second task.

She wondered what kind of task she’ll be going through and what kind of opponents she might face and fight against from among the freedom fighters that will be tasked to test her in this next task.

However, she suddenly wished that it was the freedom fighters she will be fighting against because she stopped when the leader stopped first and then turned to her and told her what her next task is. Needless to say, she’s suddenly not feeling ready for it and might not be able to pass this one right now.

The leader told her bluntly and straight to the point that her second task is to prove herself whether she knows the strength of the magical and abnormal creatures that are dwelling or roaming in the forest they’re in and that she’ll need to fight against them if she encounters or they come at her when they do. She’ll need to face and fight them with only the weapons she has on hand right now and be able to survive and live through the task until sundown.

Once that was said, Arty didn’t realize that she was dumbstruck stunned and standing by herself in the very spot she’s on until the leader has left her all alone in the forest she’s now trapped in to complete and pass the test of her second task.

Now Arty had cursed to herself that she didn’t have a bit of time to prepare herself on learning and knowing what kind of creatures that were in this forest she’s in to try to succeed her next task and pass the test, both the magical and abnormal which the leader had said before.

However, the future heroine of the story felt reassured that she has weapons to defend and protect herself with, even though it’s only just a sword strapped to her side, a wooden longbow slung on her shoulder, and a quiver of arrows strapped around her back.

She moved forward in a few walking steps slowly, and also tense and on guard, watching out for any of the creatures in the forest that she will encounter or come at her. She was so tense and the sudden eerie silence that engulfed the surroundings around her wasn’t helping her agitated nerves a bit.

Just as she tries to think and remember what kind of creatures there are, while she slowly walks and moves forward as quiet as she can, one of the creatures in the forest decided to make its appearance and come at her first.

Arty instantly froze in her steps, stiffening and tensed when she heard a soft rustling from some of the still trees by her right side, and she quickly turned and drew her bow and arrow at the ready, but not shooting until whatever it was that’s out there in the forest comes out and reveals itself.

The thing that came out and had made the rustling sounds, was an abnormally large black-furred bear and it snuffled around and sniffed while nearing towards Arty in slow motion on its four paws.

Arty felt like reacting first and taking the shot but then in a sudden flash of inspiration again, similar to how she experienced it before from the previous first task, she realized and figured out what the second one is all about and what the test truly is.

For this second task is not only the test of strength she’ll need to pass but the kind of test she must not underestimate the true strength among the creatures of the forests.

Basically put, like how she figured out what to do on the first task before, the second task and the test that she’ll need to do and succeed is just only facing and fight against the creatures that are deemed dangerous and a threat to her.

So Arty assessed and study the bear creature first, trying to deduce quickly with her sight and other senses whether this creature before her is truly a danger to her or not.

As if to reply to her answer in a good way, the bear stopped sniffing and snuffling at her direction, turned the other way and left her alone with a small bear moan, like showing her that she passed her test she’s in.

Arty gave a whooshing sigh of relief when she watched the large bear-creature had left, but she didn’t put back her bow and arrow weapons in place for she still got them out in the ready to shoot at anything that will come at her in a threatening way.

It felt like a long time for Arty to finish her second task until the time of sundown came, but by then she didn’t realize how much time seem to fly by and pass so fast again when she dispatch any kind of harmful threats or dangerous creatures she had encountered or they had come at her.

So far, by the time sundown had finally arrived, she only dealt with and fight against a few creatures, which is a harmless-looking but hostile rabbit creature, a venomous normal-looking magical lizard, and a carnivorous screeching normal-looking raven bird.

When the leader and a few freedom fighters came to the forest right at sundown to get and fetch Arty, they were surprised and impressed again on seeing the animal corpses that Arty had faced and fought against, and she succeeded her task on surviving and being alive from it.

Instantly, without the leader announcing first that she had passed her second task and test of strength, the freedom fighters that were with the leader had come running to Arty and then congratulated and praised her with enthusiasm and approval in all of their very beings.

Arty didn’t think that she would be able to succeed in the second task, the test of strength which she never thought that she would pass it. All around her, the freedom fighters gave her more praises and congratulations on her success. But she knew that it’s not over yet, for the leader had told her after she was done with the second task, that there would be one more and the last one she will be facing against.

Arty wondered what the last task would be, and despite how she feels slightly tired and exhausted from her ordeal of the second one, she wondered what kind of harrowing experience she will be going through next on the last test that she’ll need to prove herself worthy to keep staying with the freedom fighters.

*****

*****


	22. CHAPTER 21 - THE THIRD AND LAST TASK, THE TEST OF SPIRIT

**CHAPTER 21 - THE THIRD AND LAST TASK, THE TEST OF SPIRIT**

*****

It was another few days that had already gone by and passed on so fast--which in reality it was only about another three days that’s gone--and Arteria Blaze or Arty has been wondering what the next task would be if it might be the last and what kind of test that she’ll be going through and need to succeed and pass it.

There wasn’t any training for her to do more, so to keep herself busy and get her mind off from the next task, she did self-training by herself so that she wouldn’t be thinking about it and focus on trying to get herself ready for whatever task she’ll be taking on.

As she was wondering and pondering thoughtfully over this deeply, she didn’t realize that she was approached again by the leader until he called her and she nearly jumped in the middle of her self-training upon hearing his voice. She was a little surprised that she wasn’t aware enough to notice him coming.

She turned and looked at him and he told her bluntly and straight to the point once more that the third task she’ll be partaking on with being the last one, and after that, if she succeeds and passes it, she is proven worthy and can stay as long as she wants with the freedom fighters.

Arty took a deep breath to calm herself and then nodded to the leader that she is ready to face her last task and test she’ll be taking on.

He almost smiled approvingly at the courage she’s showing to face against her last task, but then his face quickly went blank and he turned around to lead her where she needs to be and pass the last test she will be tested on to prove her worthiness with the freedom fighters.

She followed behind him, looking around curiously when she noticed that he’s leading to another part of the thick forest that seemed similar like the one she had gone into from the previous second task before, but she could tell the difference that the area she is seeing isn’t the same as she followed the leader to where she is going for her third and last task.

Then she saw that she’s at another clearing, but not the same-looking kind that she had been in from the previous first task before. She looked at the leader who was looking at her with a grim expression on his face that she knew that it does not look good for her and she thinks that he thinks she might not pass the last task she will be tested on.

The leader said to her gravely, “For the third and last task you will take--you will need to face your worst fears and the greatest of horrors that you will ever face in your life. The most terrifying thing that you can’t even imagine to deal with, but you will need all your courage and strong-nerve bravery to fight against it. Your task is to not fight against it physically with your weapons. But fight it with everything you have, all your body, mind and spirit itself. If you pass this task for about three hours--then you have proven yourself worthy into staying with my freedom-fighting kin. Good luck.”

With that said in a grave ominous and foreboding way, the leader left her alone in the clearing and she watched him go and leave her alone by herself in the middle of it.

She wondered what he meant by saying that, and she wondered whether this will be another test almost similar to the first one before.

That was when a sudden fog started forming around her in the clearing she was in and the center of it all. And she tensed and prepared herself, ready for whatever she will face.

She wondered what it might be that she needs to fight against about that needs no weaponry or physical attacks, that was when some sort of misty foggy image is starting to form before her very eyes.

Now, she finally understood as quick and fast as she had instantly realized, unlike the previous two tasks when she figured it out in between fights or encounters before, for this one she could easily figure out just by watching the very scene that’s playing in front of her.

For the task she’s taking--it is a test of spirit! A test--that will make you try to face your worst fears and terrifying nightmares that might come true possibly in the future.

The misty fog seemed to form moving images of herself but Arty saw that she looked to be sacrificing herself on her fight against the Mad King with the Fiery Blade on hand, and after she defeated him, she watched in horror as she was being ignited somehow by fire and was being burned alive.

Arty froze, staring in stunned shock and horror at the scene, and then the next images that show her next, was herself again but as Elaina the writer, and this time it shows a misty foggy scene of her lying in a hospital bed, her whole body completely covered in bandages and she’s hooked on life-support machines of the hospital. She saw that the monitor machine next to her lying body started beeping in alarm and showed a flatline, revealing that she had died in her real-world from back home, as she had been heavily burnt before from the apartment fire she had suffered through.

It didn’t take long for Arty to snap out of it and realize what she must do for her to pass this test of the last task she’s in. She knew that even though these two scenes is possible for her in the future to face against, she will have to fight through it, and when it does, she will have to accept her fate, no matter how much it hurts her because she is determined to see this through, whether the scenes she had seen will come true or not.

Somehow like in a fast instant motion, the fog cleared away as soon as Arty had seen this and made her self-decisions about it herself, and she didn’t know what’s going on until there were loud noises of joyous shouts and cheers towards her.

She turned around and was staring stunned at the incoming freedom fighters running at her and were giving her a group welcome and hugs and congratulations, that it didn’t take long for her to realize that she had done it. She passed her last task and test.

The leader of the freedom fighters was the last person to come behind the group and he was smiling proudly at her that she had passed and had proven her worth among them.

As Arty took in so many praises and congratulations at her from the others, she was very glad that she somehow managed to finish the third and last task, the test of spirit and has proven herself worthy to keep staying and living with the group of freedom fighters. She was surprised herself that she didn’t realize that when she was at the last task, the time seemed to have gone so fast already and she had passed it easily of it.

Now she had to be ready when the time comes that she needs to go and retrieve the Fiery Blade and pass the Trinity Goddess’ trials and prove herself worthy to be chosen as the magical weapon’s wielder. She wondered what’s in store for her in the future when that very day comes to her.

*****

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	23. CHAPTER 22 - UNEXPECTED SURPRISES

**CHAPTER 22 - UNEXPECTED SURPRISES**

*****

It was only a few days later, about three days that have gone by so fast already after the three trials that Arteria Blaze had gone through and passed them all.

She was very glad that she succeeded and the group of freedom fighters has accepted her like she’s a new member in their ranks now. Still, Arty wondered about what she’ll be planning to do next after she had done what she did but still have not gotten the complete training to become a good fighter and warrior.

She’ll have to think about the other worries or concerns about it later and decided to just continue with her training so that she’ll make decisions and think about anything more in the future.

However, little did she know, there will be something surprising and unexpected that’s about to come to Arty on the next day while she stayed with the freedom fighting group.

It was the next morning after those three days that gone by, that Arty was approached by one of the freedom fighters and told her that the leader had called her to come to his tent for there is something urgent that she is needed for.

Arty wondered what it is about since it sounded urgent from the message told by the messenger, but she hastily went to the leader’s tent fast so that she’ll find out what it is. Once she got in, the leader turned to look at her and she was a little surprised when she saw a harried worried expression on his face like something is bothering him deeply and making him overly anxious.

“Among the scouts that were guarding the perimeter of this camp, there is a carriage about to pass by the path that will lead straight to this site. From what they have said, it appeared to be a nobleman’s carriage but I fear that it might be one of the slave-masters who has come to investigate the possible whereabouts of our hiding location, such as this one,” the leader said hurriedly, giving the urgent matter of this grave situation.

“I’ve already prepared some men to get ready to deal with them if that were the case, but the reason I called you is that I need your knowledge about knowing what is truly noble or not before we even try to stop that carriage from spotting this place. Will you come?”

Now Arty understood the gravity of this situation. It will be bad if the group of freedom fighters might end up hurting some noble rich people and that they will be hunted down by the authorities if it turns out they were innocent.

So Arty nodded, accepting the mission and the leader sighed with relief before he gestured her to go prepare her weapons and then told her to meet them at a designated spot where they will intercept the approaching carriage coming.

It was a good thing that before she started training with the freedom fighters back in the first days before that she imparted that she has good knowledge about what kind of people are truly noble and rich and those of the poor ones.

Even though Arty hasn’t gone out much from her family before as a simple peasant girl with two magician friends, as the creator and writer of the story, she knows on who are the rich and the poor and in between statuses.

By the time that she made it to the meeting spot where the leader was and the other few freedom fighters that were hiding in the edges of forests behind the trees right next to the path where the carriage will be coming through, she’s already prepared and ready for whatever it is will come there.

It was a tense silence as they waited and then the carriage came and they become tenser and looked like they were wanting to already go out from their hiding places and attack, but they didn’t because of the leader’s orders to stand down first.

Arty quickly did her work and gazed sharply right at the incoming carriage, studying it intensely and also starting at its carriage riders and occupants on it. It didn’t take long for her to realize and deduce that it is truly a nobleman’s carriage and there were no signs or traces anywhere that anyone in that carriage is a slave-master that the group of freedom fighters was worried about.

She imparted this quickly to the leader and he was relieved at that, and then he softly ordered his people to keep standing down and let the carriage pass through, but make sure that they don’t give themselves away from their hiding places so that the rich nobles wouldn’t notice anything amiss during their carriage ride.

It only took a few minutes for the carriage to disappear and all the freedom fighters were relieved that it’s completely gone away and they went back to their campsite. The leader congratulated Arty for a job well done and was very grateful for the work she’s done for them.

But then when they returned to the camp, the leader told Arty something else that surprised her completely and got her stunned of knowing about it from what the leader had said to her.

As they got back, Arty didn’t think that she would be encountering these unexpected surprises when the leader of the freedom fighters decided to tell her the truth about him not being the true main leader of the group after that noble carriage incident and that he has offered her a chance to meet with the real one.

She wondered about who she is going to be meeting soon and finding out about who was the true leader and founder of the freedom fighters. And she also wondered why she was kept in the dark about knowing the real leader of the group.

Hopefully, the person she will meet in the future will be a friendly one, and if not, then she’ll strive to get into their good side so that she’ll be able to continue with her goals and plans to become the heroine of the story.

*****

*****


	24. CHAPTER 23 - MEETING THE TRUE LEADER

**CHAPTER 23 - MEETING THE TRUE LEADER**

*****

After that carriage incident and the group of freedom fighters were relieved to discover that it wasn’t any slave-masters that came hunting for them, Arty looked to be that she is anxious about something. And the reason being of that was from the leader telling her the truth about the real and true leader of the freedom fighting group.

She didn’t think about it on knowing who is truly who and realizing what kind of people she’s been staying with and trained with during her long time with them.

True, she made a few friends among them, getting a little closer thanks to Arty passing the trials set up from them. But she never thought that the leader himself would have kept a big secret from her and then suddenly decide to give her the truth so soon after she had passed the trials of the freedom fighters and then helped them out with the passing nobleman’s carriage.

She wondered what is going on and why she suddenly felt like that there is something fishy about this kind of situation and timing that’s suddenly happening right before her.

At first, this feels like the same thing or something similar that had happened before when she caught sight of the capital’s royal prince that had come too early for the future heroine’s first meeting of sorts.

But then Arty shook it off as coincidence because she seemed to not remember anything about the freedom fighters being another main part of her story. They only have the role in small parts by that they are one of the allied groups with the heroine to rebel against the main villain of the story which is the Mad King.

However, Arty felt like she couldn’t shake the sudden bad feeling she’s got in her gut that felt so ominous it made her feel shivers that are running down her spine so coldly.

When she felt that ominous feeling, it made her feel like that she needs to find out what had gotten her to feel that way, but Arty knew that she has no time to delve into that.

For all her anxiety and nervousness, she needs to put it off for later and focus on continuing her training to be a good warrior, and then prepare herself for the incoming meeting with the true leader of the freedom fighters.

She wondered how that will turn out about, but she will have to wait and see when the time comes and the outcome might prove to turn out good.

Hopefully, that will be true in the future, for Arty believes that there’s something brewing on the horizon, and she can’t tell whether it might be good or bad.

It was a few days later that has already pass by, about two days at the least, that Arty was busy reading some books she had brought with her during her stay with the freedom fighters and has gotten herself distracted that she wasn’t hyper-aware of her surroundings until she was approached by one of the freedom fighters.

She nearly jumped in surprise when they announced their presence and then told her that the leader has called for her in a private meeting she needs to come in about something.

She wondered again what it could be and she was also surprised at finding out that time has already gone so fast that she didn’t notice it because she was distracted from the training and whatever she was doing like reading her books.

Arty stood and went to see the leader on what the private meeting is about with her and the leader, but then it was only a few hours later that she came back to her tent with a look of stunned surprise in her face and also there was nervousness again on it.

The leader had told her that Arty, the leader, and a few other freedom fighters will be off to go to another secret place where the main and real leader is waiting for them, especially for Arty herself. The leader had told her that she will pack up her things and get prepared to leave by the next morning as they set off.

Arty was nervous about meeting the true leader of the freedom fighters. She may not know exactly where they will be going, but she’ll try to remember as much as she can since she is also the creator of the fantastical and fictional world she’s in that is her story, once they get there.

Maybe when she meets the leader, she might be able to instantly figure out who they are and what kind of role they play into the story with the heroine in it.

Hopefully, she might be able to because she couldn’t handle any more unexpected surprises or changes that she knew that it was not meant for the story itself. And it is not a good thing for Arteria Blaze.

*****

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	25. CHAPTER 24 - ALLIANCES AND PATHS

**CHAPTER 24 - ALLIANCES AND PATHS**

*****

As Arteria Blaze packed up her stuff and prepared herself to leave the campsite to go wherever an unknown place where they might be meeting the true leader of the freedom fighters, Arty was feeling a bit anxious and nervous about it all.

On the outside, she looked calm and composed but on the inside, she’s feeling a bit jittery about the whole thing. She knows she’s been feeling this way because she’s going to venture into the unknown and whatever it is she might not be prepared to face it.

And this is entirely different from what she’s gone through when she prepared herself for the trials before and then successfully passed them all.

Still, she will try her best to make the most of it, be prepared over whatever it is that will come at her and then be strong enough to face against it and fight if needed.

So she rode with the leader and the freedom fighters on a horse-pulling cart as it went off to a path that is secluded in the forest, going on the direction wherever the place they are going to.

While riding on it and waiting patiently as the cart moves a bit bumpy during the trip, Arty started to make some small talk to the others or was thinking deeply to herself at what kind of ideas she’s having in her head or making it up while sitting down during a bumpy ride.

It only took about a few hours for them to reach somewhere, and Arty realized that this is some sort of rest stop since it will be dangerous to travel on during the night time. So they all got off the cart, made up a temporary campsite and then took their dinner meals and went to sleep with one of the freedom fighters on guard watch.

As Arty lies down, she felt like staying awake for a moment while mentally thinking more of her ideas and other plans she needs to make up in the future so that she will be prepared for it.

By the time the next morning arrived, Arty was fully rested even though she had been awake the last night for about a few hours, and then they packed up her stuff and went off continuing their journey on their trip to get to the destination place they’re going to.

Arty wondered what kind of place they’re going to but she didn’t realize that more time had passed by and she somehow had fallen asleep on the moving cart despite being a bumpy ride until one of the freedom fighters woke her up and told her that they’ve arrived.

Arty blushed a bit in embarrassment upon realizing that she was asleep during the trip and thought that maybe she didn’t get more rest than she thought she had before back from the rest stop. However, she put it off and smiled at the freedom fighters when they chuckle with amusement on seeing her blush before they got off the cart and were about to enter through the gates of what appeared to be some sort of small-town somewhere.

She cursed to herself on falling asleep so that she wouldn’t be able to familiarize herself with where she is exactly and the kind of surroundings of the place she’s now in. But at least there is still time to figure out and discover what this place is because the leader told her that the meeting won’t come so soon for the true leader of the freedom fighters is running a bit late and behind to come and see them.

She was relieved and felt herself relax on hearing that so that she’ll be able to be prepared on herself meeting or facing whoever it is she’ll be seeing soon. It was also good that she still got time to look around and had already made up and prepared her mental thoughts and ideas over what she’s going to be doing or something else.

Thankfully, with the alliances and paths that were planned and made in her mind, Arty thought deeply over it so that she will be wholly prepared for what’s to come.

Once she managed to successfully ally with the true leader and its group of the freedom fighters, they might be able to help her with her goals in the future after she obtains the mystical and magical weapon, which is the Fiery Blade first when the time comes.

Now it’s just a matter of time of being patient and waiting for the right moment for Arty to know when the time comes for her to go down the path on passing the trials of the Trinity Goddess and then becoming the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade. Hopefully, she would be able to succeed this with all her determination into it.

*****

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	26. CHAPTER 25 - A SHOCKING MEETING

**CHAPTER 25 - A SHOCKING MEETING**

*****

When they have finally arrived at the destination they were going for, the group of freedom fighters and Arteria Blaze all went down to unpack their luggage and settle down on the place they will be staying for the time being.

Meanwhile, Arty looked around discreetly as she tries to memorize the new surroundings and figure out where she is. Something about this place seemed a bit familiar to her and she’s trying to remember or figure out what it is.

She wasn’t that distracted too much on her deep thoughts as she was thinking and pondering this as she helped out the others into sorting out their stuff and going to settle in to stay in a small apartment-like building where they will all be staying.

By the time they finished settling in, Arty noticed the leader quietly sneaking out so that he would be meeting the very person who is the real leader of the freedom-fighting group. She wondered what that person is like and was thinking about it, but she still didn’t put into much effort to wanting to know about it so that she wouldn’t show herself to the others of her nervousness and anxiety to it.

She shouldn’t show her expressions on how she feels about it right now too much so that they wouldn’t think that she has ulterior bad motives for being with them on this trip. By the time the leader had come back, Arty was relieved that none of the others had noticed this so that the leader wouldn’t know and then the leader approached and told her that she’ll be meeting the ‘real’ leader very soon for he is interested to meet her.

It made her more nervous when he told her about it and she tried to calm herself down and maintain a cool composure when she’s about to meet whoever is the true leader of the freedom fighters so fast or something. She’ll need to be physically and mentally prepared to face whoever it is and try to have a good friendly approach towards him so that he wouldn’t suspect that she’s a bad person trying to sneak into their ranks.

Anyway, she’ll also need to be prepared on looking good but not too much so that she wouldn’t make so much of an impression like she’s dressing up for a party or something extravagant like that. After the leader had left her a bit so that she’ll change her traveling clothes, she was relaxing a bit even though she was in hurry to change into different types of clothing so that she’ll meet with the real leader.

By the time she was finished, dressed in simple and humbly modest black fitted pants, shoes, and a white shirt with tunic, the leader came to fetch her and he didn’t comment or say any other word about her choice of clothing as they walked together to go to a private room somewhere in the upper floors of the apartment building they’re staying in.

The leader knocked on the door and Arty quickly squared herself ready as a voice inside gently said to come in and the two of them did. She looked around quickly with a glance that the room they’re in looked to be an office room of sorts with two bookshelves in each side of the room, filled with books.

When she found that the voice she heard came from what appeared to be a high-ranking butler, Arty knew instantly that he couldn’t be the leader for he looked to be that he’s faithful and loyal to whoever it is he is serving to. The servant went to kindly offer them their seats and let them wait for the one person to arrive as he served them tea and few snacks, and it was a bit nerve-wracking for Arty to wait for whoever it is that will come.

It didn’t take long for that very person who they were waiting for to arrive and come in through another door in the room, and needless to say, Arty was very shocked upon seeing who it is and recognizing instantly from first sight as he came inside and greeted them.

Arty never considered such a shocking meeting she’ll have when she meets another one of the characters of her story so soon and early, like before with Prince Adrian, the Mad-King’s unfavored son. And that person of a character she’s meeting truly is known as Lord Eric Dark-grip, also known by his true identity which many others do not know of, as Lady Eris Dark-grip. The character who plays the role as the true leader of the freedom fighters, an undercover slave-trader, and a noble-in-disguise of the high society to make connections and all of those sorts.

In any case, it looks like that she’ll have to quickly makeup plans and come up with some ideas on how to confront him in the future and also consider trying a friendly approach so that they’ll easily bond like that. Arty didn’t want to make an enemy already from one of the characters of her story, and somehow make a very bad mess out of it.

And hopefully, the writer and future heroine of the story will be able to succeed that and get a great alliance with this character of the story. It looks like Arteria Blaze is thinking that the task she’ll be taking on will be slightly difficult to accomplish that and work on, but she’s determined to see this through to the end so that she’ll find a way to get back home into her real world.

*****

*****


	27. CHAPTER 26 - MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS

**CHAPTER 26 - MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS**

*****

Arty tried to stop herself from staring continuously at the person called Lord Dark-grip but she couldn’t help herself for she is wholly shocked on the inside that she’s meeting face to face with one of the characters of her story.

But she managed to compose herself quickly before he noticed it. Still, it didn’t stop her mind wandering as Lord Eric Dark-grip spoke to the other leader of the freedom fighters about the group, concerning their activities before they turn their focus to her.

And before they do that, she tries to calm herself so that nothing was amiss when Lord Eric turns to talk to her. After he finished talking with the other leader, he turned to look at her, his eyes gazing at her from head to toe like he’s assessing her whole being to determine what truly the kind of person she is.

Arty looked cool and calm and bravely faced the noble and disguised Lord as she let him check her out and she prayed internally to herself that he won’t notice something is off after he finished his staring assessment of her.

It only took about a few minutes of him staring at her with a studying intense look and once he was finished, he nodded like he seemed satisfied of something and then gave a kind smile while gesturing at her to sit down and have tea and snacks while having whatever conversation they will be talking about.

After they had good tea and their snacks, the conversation between Lord Dark-grip and Arty was short to the point and friendly, but she knew deep down that he doesn’t trust her yet from the deep look in his eyes like he still suspects something about her.

However, she didn’t show it and maintained a friendly persona towards him and answered any questions or inquiries from him about her and her friendships with the others of the freedom-fighting group. By the time, nearly a few hours had gone by and passed, their conversation ended and Arty mentally sighed in relief that it was over for she had felt tense throughout the whole thing and couldn’t relax with the way Lord Dark-grip had been gazing at her suspiciously like she’s still hiding something from him.

After their talk and then Arty was allowed to leave, she didn’t relax until she managed to reach to her appointed room in the building with a slightly fast walking sprint, and once she got inside and locked the door behind her, she finally slumped relaxing with relief.

She never thought that it would be this tense and nerve-wracking when it comes to talking with Lord Dark-grip whose true identity that he’s actually a woman beneath his disguise.

Arty wondered whether his trusted servant or the supporting leader of the freedom-fighting faction knows about his guise, but then she knew already that they don’t know, considering how she noticed their looks or attitudes that they do not know Dark-grip’s true identity.

If they did, then they would have been more overprotective of their lord considering that she’s a woman in disguise from what she had known and written of this particular character in the story.

From what Arty knew about her creation and the origins concerning this character known as Lord Eric Dark-grip, he is actually Lady Eris Dark-grip, the unfavored daughter and black sheep of the Dark-grip family.

The Dark-grip family were the people infamous known among the rich noble society and they have been vastly known throughout that society by their various political connections and generous donations to charity. That was all on the surface outside of all their personas.

What is inside among them, however, is a whole different story.

The truth hidden in the Dark-grip family is that they are also a group of evil slave-traders. Though they have not purchased or employed any of the slaves in that inhuman trading, they do have the connections and wealth to make sure that the slave network bears fruit to their many clients they have in their clientele.

And that is the very reason why Lady Eris Dark-grip became born and known as the black sheep of the family. For she hated slavery and wanted to abolish it but her family doesn’t know about that.

Arty remembered that she had written in the story notes that there are mysterious circumstances that Lady Eris has done to make sure everyone in her family, be it elderly to the youngest child have not escaped their doom in her hands so that there won’t be anyone else doing the slave-trading anymore. She remembered she hadn’t thought of what was the mystery of that for she had not finished or made it up yet.

Still, it looks like Lady Eris had succeeded and then made up her persona as Lord Eric and then put up the fake pretense of continuing the slave-trading, when in reality he’s using this to free all slaves in that evil faction and after he and the freedom-fighting group have done it and finished, then he will make a move to fully abolish that inhuman slave-trafficking and everything.

Despite that Arty doesn’t fully know everything, it seems to her that the story is playing out what she had written and created it to be, so it looks like that she’s relieved that it is following the course of the story as she intended it to be. Hopefully, there won’t be any more surprises like this kind of event keeps playing out.

Even though Arty fully knew about the mysterious origins concerning the Dark-grip Lord, she made sure that she didn’t show it on the outside so that this character wouldn’t know that she somehow knows the hidden truth about him.

Hopefully, by the next conversation they’ll have, it will be a peaceful one and Arty might succeed into making a friendship of sorts with this one so that he’ll be added in the role of helping the heroine of the story, just as how it’s supposed to go or something.

*****

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	28. CHAPTER 27 - FRIENDLY ALLIANCES

**CHAPTER 27 - FRIENDLY ALLIANCES**

*****

It was until the next morning of another new day, that Arteria Blaze was called again from the leader to meet with Lord Dark-grip into the private room once more to have another conversation together concerning about her or something else.

At first, Arty was a bit calm on the outside but on the inside, she was very nervous and anxious about what the conversation might be about between them. She hoped that he didn’t do something like investigating more into whoever she was in the past or might look into other methods to interrogating who she truly is.

Even though she knew deep down that she’s truly safe, considering she came from humble peasant origins, Arty felt like that Lord Eric might have noticed something within her that she’s keeping secret or hidden from him.

Still, even though she might be thinking too much about it, she’ll have to try to keep her whole being hidden very well so that Lord Eric wouldn’t suspect her one bit when they talk later in their private conversation soon.

Nevertheless, she prepared herself once more and dressed casually again just as she was approaching a bit slow towards the same private room where she will be having the conversation with Lord Eric Dark-grip again.

Only this time she is alone and as she knocked on the door of the private office room a bit nervously, she heard Lord Eric’s voice softly calling out to come in and she did. Arty saw that he was alone and she slightly winced internally to herself upon realizing that it’s only the two of them in the room.

But Arty took an internal deep breath and then readied herself for whatever talk they will have as she shuts the door behind her and then sits down on a chair, facing Lord Eric across her.

He gazed at her again with that intense studying look but then it became gone when his face turned into a kind gentle look and then he offered her tea again and more snacks for Arty to indulge in.

It was strange a bit for him to offer such a thing but Arty kindly accepted it and relaxed into drinking tea and eating some few biscuits, all the while she ignored how Lord Eric is staring at her like she’s some sort of mysterious puzzle he needs to work out on and solve.

Anyway, it didn’t take long for the two of them to finish with whatever break time they have until they started talking with Lord Eric speaking first and Arty listened with a bit of surprise on the reason why he called her out for.

He wanted to offer her a chance more on joining with the group of freedom fighters by her masquerading herself as a rich noblewoman and be by his side and pretend to be his romantic partner of sorts. Lord Eric quickly explained to her that he needed a companion to ward off any interested parties who wanted to shove female suitors at him for a marriage arrangement or something.

Arty understood and felt a bit of pity for Lord Eric since she knew what his true guise is. So she didn’t mind the offer and told him that and she’ll be glad to help him in whatever goals he needed to be done with so that the slave-trading will be fully abolished and over with, even though the slave-trading will continue under the Mad King’s rule.

Lord Eric was grateful for this and he also suggested a reward for her in case she needs it, but Arty refused the offer as all she wanted was a friendly alliance with him and his group of freedom fighters so that no one else will be forced into slavery.

He was impressed at her courage and tenacity and then they shook hands on it and started making up plans and ideas together on how this partnership will go out and how this masquerade will play and be able to fool others into believing that they are a couple.

So far, Arty let Lord Eric do all the planning and giving ideas while she just suggests or gives opinions about whatever he thought of. After almost a few hours into the conversation, it ended with Lord Eric shaking hands gratefully at Arty for her help and then he let her leave as she got out and went back to her room.

It didn’t take long again for her to come back into the room and when she got inside, she slumped again in relief and was internally relaxing herself to calm down that the conversation is over. Arty didn’t expect that kind of talk at first but she was glad to have it and become somewhat closer to Lord Eric Dark-grip.

After making friendly alliances with Lord Dark-grip, Arty hoped that sometime in the future, she will be trusted with knowing the true identity of the noble leader of the freedom fighters, even though she already knows it.

Hopefully, that time will come but until then Arty will focus on training more and be prepared for when the time comes that she’ll go on the quest and face the trials of the Trinity Goddess so that she will obtain the magical weapon, the Fiery Blade and be chosen as its wielder in the future.

*****

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	29. CHAPTER 28 - THE TIME HAS COME

**CHAPTER 28 - THE TIME HAS COME**

*****

After those meetings with Lord Dark-grip and succeeding with the task on having friendly alliances with him, Arty thought she could be able to have a break and relax without any other worries and concerns at all at that time.

But then Arty didn’t know that something was going to happen right there and then very soon while she’s staying there with the freedom fighters for the time being. And that something is approaching and coming especially for her and only her alone.

It began and started with some kind of trickling feeling in her gut or some sort of mysterious whisper blowing softly to her hearing.

At first, Arty thought that it was just some strange coincidence and maybe it’s just the wind flowing by her, but then she started to realize that the feeling inside her deepened like she swallowed a rock or something and then the whispers started to increase more as they hiss by her ears like she’s being called by something.

She felt like she wanted to be afraid and fearful at first when she finally realized that she’s sensing this, and thought of that she’s being haunted by some ghost or phantom that’s lurking in the place she’s staying in with the freedom fighting group.

But then it didn’t take long for her to realize again that this is not some sort of foreboding and ominous being that’s trying to haunt or scare her. For she started to also feel some sort of spiritual awareness like she’s being called by something grandly divine from the heavens itself.

It was then that Arteria Blaze finally figured out and realized that she was being called by the Trinity Goddess herself and she knew what this means for her.

It is already now the time for her to be tested of her worthiness and be going through the trials of the goddess that she will need to pass through and succeed so that she’ll be proven worthy and become chosen as the new wielder of the Fiery Blade.

Once Arty realizes this, she focused on centering the feeling and the sensing that she has felt until it took her for almost a few minutes to deduce and conclude that the goddess is trying to give her some kind of signs within her during the nights while she was sleeping deeply in her slumber.

After she had gotten it and figured it out, it was then Arty had to almost wait impatiently for night time to come so that she’ll be able to see what kind of signs the goddess has been sending her in the attempts through her dreams or something.

It didn’t take long for night time to arrive, and she went to bed early, even though Arty knew that she had gotten some weird and strange looks towards her from the others when they noticed this. But she was glad that they shrugged it off, thinking that she must have been exhausted or tired from training or whatever chores that she had been doing before.

Once Arty lies down almost hastily onto her bed in sleeping night clothing, her eyes closed with her head down on the pillow instantly and then she started feeling some kind of connection within her very being as the goddess links with her slightly to give her signs or communicate with her to whatever it is that she needs to send out.

First, it was foggy in her dreams, like a dark misty scenery on her mind, but then it became clearer like an image was forming before her very eyes and it wasn’t long for Arty to see clearly in the dream-place inside her head for her to see and view the new kind of scenery.

The scenery or place that Arty seems to be seeing before her is what appeared to be some kind of dark cave somewhere out there, but then it didn’t take long for Arty to remember this place swiftly and where she had seen it and she knew the reason why this image came to her in her head.

For this is the sign that the goddess is showing her on where her first trials might be or something. And like on cue, the goddess herself seemed to sense that Arty has solved the clue of the sign she has given and then when Arty had woken up from her slumbering dreams, she was surprised to see that it’s already the next day, with the sun rising early to shine on the new dawn of the morning.

Arty never thought that the time has come already for her to face whatever trials she will be up against that will be given out from the Trinity Goddess herself. She wondered whether she will be ready for it and that she will be able to face it head-on without fear or hesitation.

Hopefully, when that very time comes as she might hear or somehow sense the call again and signal her that it is time for her to go to that very place she had seen from her dreams, Arty will be fully prepared and ready to face whatever it is that will come at her. And that once she does, she might be able to succeed and prove herself worthy to wield the magical weapon and become the heroine of the story as she had created and written it to be.

*****

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	30. CHAPTER 29 - FIRST AND SECOND TRIALS OF THE GODDESS

**CHAPTER 29 - FIRST AND SECOND TRIALS OF THE GODDESS**

*****

It was a few days later, exactly three days again, that has passed and gone by, that Arteria Blaze or Arty has finally heard or sensed the call that she had been waiting for or something.

When she was waiting for it, she had to increase and maximize her physical and mental training for herself so that she would be prepared to face whatever it is that will be coming at her from the goddess or something.

It was a very good thing that she did, for the whole being of her body was already radiating with anticipation and readiness once she had sensed the call. It came to her again on the third night when she was sleeping deeply in her dreams.

Only this time the dream that is being shown to her from the goddess was different than before. For the kind of scenery that she is viewing through her dreams were of herself standing in front of the entrance of the large dark cave that she was shown the location where the trials would be. 

It is also a good thing that Arty had gone off to double-check the place before to make sure that the cave was the exact spot she had seen from the dreams. Now that she had been dreaming of herself standing in the cave’s entrance, she knew what this meant instantly and as she woke up in the early morning, she prepared herself and bringing a few things to get to that very location so that she’ll go through the goddess’ trials.

She gave early notice already to the group of freedom fighters that she was leaving for a short trip but she didn’t divulge more on the matter so that they won’t know that she’s being called by the Trinity Goddess herself until Arty passes her trials. She even told Lord Dark-grip and he didn’t seem to think of it more about it and gave her permission to go, which got her relieved at that.

After Arty had told them, she quickly left before any of them might end up changing their minds and try to accompany her, and she went off in a slightly fast sprint to get to the cave where she will be undergoing the first trials.

As she got to the entrance of the cave, Arty slightly shivers nervously with little fear but she bravely entered into the deep darkness of the cave with a small fire-torch she had found and used a stray wooden stick during her trek.

She wanders into the deep shadows of the cave for almost a few minutes, trying to find whatever it is that she needed to, or was waiting for something to come at her. But then she didn’t have to wait long for something suddenly came and this one’s fast and hostile towards her.

Arty almost didn’t see it but at least she reacted quickly when it came at her fast like the wind and tried to slice or cut her with something as it dashed at her and she swiftly deflected the blow while dodging the attacker.

She tried to hold on the burning torch as well while brandishing her sword with one hand but she couldn’t be able to see clearly into the dark of whatever that is attacking her. As she tried to focus and sharpen her senses, she somehow felt the same rush again and reacted quickly when another cutting blow came at her, trying to strike her but she deflected the attack again.

This repeated almost so many times and no matter how much she tries, Arty couldn’t be able to see even with the fire torch on one hand of who or what her attacker was, that continuously tries to come at her.

It didn’t take long for Arty to realize that the first trial the goddess has laid out for her was a trial for the body, meaning testing her physical skills, strength, and prowess. Though Arty may not know how long this will last it looks like that she’ll have to keep defending herself until it was over or the attacker finally stops coming at her.

It was almost about two hours for the attacker to keep trying to attack Arty and she kept deflecting the strikes and blows at her with success as she could manage and do, and then it suddenly stopped like something else caught its attention and Arty was left alone in the dark with the small burning fiery-torch in the silent shadowy dark cave.

She wondered what had happened but then Arty noticed something else that seemed to be appearing before her sights, and she quickly readied herself in battle again and pointed her sword right at the spot where she had seen it.

However, this time it didn’t come at her but shines a little brightly like it’s been lightened up by something else and it nearly got Arty’s curiosity to coming over and see what it is that she’s seeing. And that’s what she did, but she moved forward slowly and cautiously in case that whatever something’s there that’s shining beckoningly at her, it may be a trap.

But then she didn’t need to be tense and wary for she realized that as she came forward, she saw that it was some sort of magical writing shining visibly on the walls and there were many of the passages written in the cave's walls like they’re all puzzles that she needed to solve.

Again, it didn’t take long for Arty to quickly deduce and figure out the answer about the second trial being laid out from the goddess. And that it is a trial for the mind, meaning testing her ingenuity and wits.

Arty was a little surprised that the two trials were being laid out at the same time and wondered why the Trinity Goddess laid out for her just so, but then she’ll have to put out those thoughts for later as she scrutinized the first glowing written passage on the wall to read and figure out what it’s trying to tell her or something.

==SECOND TRIAL’S PASSAGE==

**_What is real and what is fake?_ ** ****

**_Be careful with what you seek or take._ ** ****

**_For neither among the words are true,_ ** ****

**_So be careful among them on what you choose._ ** ****

**_Answer one correctly and all the others will fade,_ ** ****

**_But answer one wrongly and you will be part of the dark trade._ ** ****

==END PASSAGE==

This passage that’s written glowing and shining before her eyes almost made her shudder in slight fear and anxiety and the ominous ways it’s sending its message to her, and this didn’t take long also for Arty to realize quickly that she needs to solve one of the riddles correctly so that she’ll be able to get out of the cave and pass both the first and second trials of the goddess.

She knew that the next riddle she sees and reads will have to be the next one that she needs to solve and answer and Arty knew deep down that the goddess might be watching her closely from somewhere and will not allow her to choose any of the others from what the previous passage has said.

Either by a good twist of fate or luck, Arty read the next riddle and this one was slightly easy for her to deduce and solve it.

==RIDDLE==

**_From gold, silver, and gems made of wood,_ ** ****

**_Among them, which do you choose that stood?_ ** ****

**_From creatures that crawl on four, walk two, and hobble three,_ ** ****

**_Which of them that is only one creature that does all these?_ ** ****

**_At the end of your life, a god stands before you,_ ** ****

**_He asks what path do you wish to take on the next life beyond you?_ ** ****

**_Answer all three of these and you pass,_ ** ****

**_But answer wrongly, even with one, you will never live last._ ** ****

==END PASSAGE==

With this riddle, Arty instantly knew the answers and then voiced them out loud in the dark cave for whoever’s hidden to hear her. She answered and replied that the first part of the riddle is wood, and the second part is human, and the last part is death.

Then Arty gave her explanations and reasons on why those are her answers. For the first answer of wood is the one that can stand like all plants have, and then for the second answer of human is the only one creature that crawls on four as a baby, walks on two legs as an adult, and then hobbles on three with a wooden cane.

Finally, on the last answer of the riddle, she answered death because only the gods themselves can grant reincarnation or second life for the passing of the person who has died. For it is a cruel and selfish way for someone to dare to wish from the god to be granted the next life, even if he is a good person.

With that said out loud, Arty felt the wind and the very air changed within the cave and then there was a big bright shining light at the other side, and she knew that this is the exit from the other side of the dark cave, and it is her way out upon passing the tests from the goddess. She almost ran in a dashing hurry towards the light and then got out.

Arty panted like she’s been wholly exhausted and full-body tired for almost a whole week as she almost stumbles out of the cave from another side, where she had gone through and finished with the first and second trials of the goddess. She had never thought that those would be the kinds of trials she’d be going through from the Trinity Goddess, but then she knew deep down that those kinds would be the types that the goddess had to test her on to prove her worthiness.

She hoped deeply that the third and last trial of the goddess wouldn’t be this intense, but she also knew that she couldn’t keep her hopes up about it because she must be tested on this to make herself be proven worthy to wield the Fiery Blade.

Hopefully, that she’ll have the break time to relax first and become prepared again to face it when the next time comes and it won’t be that soon, for Arty felt like she needed to be both physically and mentally ready for it as it does.

*****

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	31. CHAPTER 30 - THIRD AND LAST TRIAL OF THE GODDESS

**CHAPTER 30 - THIRD AND LAST TRIAL OF THE GODDESS**

*****

After passing the first and second trials of the goddess, Arty knew that she will have to wait for the next call for the other trial as she walked back and returned to the inn where she was staying with the freedom fighting group and Lord Dark-grip.

She was a little relieved that only a short time has gone by when she went through the goddess’ trials and the others didn’t notice or think much about it when she was absent and gone from her trip. Even though it was a short time, Arty felt like she has been gone for a week and she was completely exhausted from it.

By the time she got to her room while trying to maintain a calm and strong composure so that the others wouldn’t see how tiredly haggard she was, she collapsed straight to her bed without changing her clothes and then went to sleep instantly.

She hoped that by the next days, she will be having the free time to have her break but also prepare herself for the next trial given out from the Trinity Goddess. And it turns out just that, much to her relief and relaxation.

After another three days of her free time to have a break, and also practice and train herself to be ready, Arty sensed the call again from the goddess through her dreams and then knew that the time has come for her to undergo the next trials laid out and given from the goddess.

This time, the scenery she was being shown to was a place that there was a thick misty fog in the area and she could slightly see a landmark to where that place is, that is a leafless slightly gnarled old tree that looked like it’s about to tilt and fall over to the side but it’s still standing.

After she had seen that, Arty knew that it won’t be long for her to find that place after she had woken up from her dreams and then prepared herself again to set out and go there to take the goddess’ next trials to be tested on.

Arteria Blaze breathed in and out deeply as she is preparing herself for the last trial about to be given out from the Trinity Goddess after she gave notice to Lord Dark-grip and the others again that she’s leaving for another short trip, and then she sets off to go there with her sword weapon at the ready and a small bag that has some snacks, bottle of water and a few stuff inside it.

It wasn’t long for Arty to find the exact spot of the place that she had seen from the dreams sent from the goddess, and she seemed a bit nervous to go through and enter into the misty fog with the gnarled tree beside it like it’s some sort of ominous sign to her.

But then Arty knew that she’ll have to go through this next trial and pass it so that she’ll prove herself worthy to wield the magical weapon, so she took a deep breath again and bravely went into the fog and was prepared and ready to face whatever it is that she’ll be facing.

When she went into the deep misty fog, she almost shivered slightly in fright that the fog seemed to darken a little from its grayness colors like the day is turning into night time already. Arty felt a little afraid about this but she still maintained a brave front to face off whatever that might come at her or something that she might come up to.

It was about a split-second later that she had encountered something but it was nothing that she seemed to have expected. For before her very eyes, parts of the fog seemed to swirl together to form some kind of image or shape and it wasn’t long until it becomes clear and Arty was nearly staring at it with shocked wide eyes.

To her very sight before her, she sees the imagery of herself but in a frozen scene in a pictured image that shows her of being burnt alive tied to a stake with an angry mob gathered around her for some reason. Arty couldn’t figure out why she’s being shown this but then it didn’t take long for her to figure this out and realize it instantly.

Once again, Arty realized that the third trial, the next and last one being laid out from the goddess is that it is a test for the spirit, meaning this trial will test her of the inner strength of her body and the mind of her very soul.

As if to give the approving answer to the question in her mind, the fog swirled again, erasing the imagery scene she had seen and shown her the next one.

This time it shows her another scene of herself being old and feebly weak and looked like that she had returned to her former home-world but has grown old to show how long has it been she had spent in the fantasy world she’s now in.

Arty frowned at this and knew that she’ll have to just watch and accept whatever images she is seeing and she will not break down upon seeing them. And that’s what she did.

It was almost a few hours later that the fog kept showing her heart-breaking and nerve-wracking images and scenes of herself being played out in horrifying and terrifying scenarios of different ways and kinds, and Arty kept up her courage and brave front on facing and seeing them all until they stopped.

Once everything was done and the goddess seemed to approve of her courage both in mind and spirit upon seeing those scenes, the fog seemed to lighten and show Arty the way out which she quickly moved to do so, to leave the area almost hurriedly.

Arty couldn’t help but let out a slightly loud sigh of relief as she got out from the thick misty fog that she had come from after she had gone through and finished the third and last trial of the goddess. She never thought that she would feel this exhausted and tired again after that ordeal, but then she felt a little excited over what will happen next and when she will be sensing the call again to find the magical weapon and wield it.

She knew that she shouldn’t be this excited and anxious about it since the Trinity Goddess showed her another sign before she left the fog, that she still needed to be tested whether she has truly proven herself worthy to wield the Fiery Blade. Arty wonders what’s in store for her in the future and thinking deeply whether she should be prepared to face whatever it is that will come at her at the final stages to become the future heroine of the story.

*****

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	32. CHAPTER 31 - THE FINAL TEST

**CHAPTER 31 - THE FINAL TEST**

*****

Arty or Arteria Blaze, the future heroine of the story, wondered what the final test would be to prove her worthiness to be the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade.

When she had the message through her dreams, she couldn’t tell whether it was sent from the Trinity Goddess or from the magical weapon itself.

Arty remembered that she had created and made the magical weapon of the flame-enchanted sword to be slightly sentient so that it would choose its own wielder, even if the wielder has proven themselves worthy and passed the goddess’ trials.

She even remembered that the sword will be the one to give its final decision on choosing its wielder by giving those a test of its own. And Arty had forgotten what that was as she was in a hurry before to improve her story and making it better but then she had forgotten about it.

She wondered and thought deeply what kind of surprise she might or might not expect when she goes through the final test and ponders what it could be as she goes through it.

Nevertheless, in her dream, it showed her the visions of where the Fiery Blade is and it’s in the same place as before when she had gone through and passed the trials of the goddess.

On the dark cave it showed her and this time she should find a spot inside where the Fiery Blade is embedded in a boulder just like in the legendary story of King Arthur’s sword.

On the next morning, Arty gave early notice to Lord Dark-grip and the group of freedom fighters that she’s going out for one last trip and they let her go as they still don’t know what she has been doing for the past previous days.

Arty was relieved that they didn’t come forward and ask her questions about before she quickly left just in case they might change their minds and approach her about it. It didn’t take long for her to get to the same place and reach the cave that she had gone before in one of the goddess’ trials that she already passed it.

As she entered into the darkness of the cave, she had used another slow-burning torch and carefully wandered inside, being cautious of any dangers that still might be inside the cave as she got in.

She almost shivered, shuddered, and nearly jumped upon being hyper-aware of her surroundings and being slightly nervous whenever she thought she heard or sensed something that’s lurking in the dark and scurrying about to get near her but then there’s nothing there.

It nearly creeps her out as she walked deeper inside the dark cave but then she was glad that it didn’t take long for her to see a faint light and she felt and believed that this must be the very spot and place where she will find the magical weapon.

It almost surprised her that her fear quickly turned into awe and wonder as she went to that light she had seen and she was gazing nearly stunned silent at the beautiful sight of the Fiery Blade itself embedded deep into the sword like it’s almost the real sword in the stone from the infamous legends and stories.

Arty knew that she had adapted her story almost similar to the tales of King Arthur and the mythical Excalibur, but then she didn’t realize that she had portrayed her creation so beautifully. 

It didn’t take long for her to snap out of it and she slowly approached the magical sword with wariness and caution, as if expecting a trap or something surrounding and guarding the sword.

When she found nothing, it puzzled her and it also got her more puzzled when she didn’t know what to do about the magic sword, but figured that it might be similar like in the story so she carefully reached out and touched both her hands on the hilt and started to pull it out with all her strength.

But then it was a split-second for her to react suddenly when the sword started bursting into fiery flames, burning intensely with her hands somehow stuck at the hilt still.

Arty nearly cried out and tried to remove her stuck hands but she somehow couldn’t. She nearly became terrified upon being burnt alive, but then she realized instantly that this is the final test that was meant to wield the magical blade.

She needs to endure its magical fires, even if it burned her. Arty knew that there’s no way she would die early because of it, and even though the intense burning pain that she could feel, she decided to push this through and endure it, no matter how agonizingly painful this is for her.

Arty nearly gritted her teeth as she held on the fire-burning sword, and she could see that somehow the fire turns from various colors as if to signify what kind of other powers it has through its magical fire.

Red fire gives out intense heat, blue fire gives out icy cold, green fire gives out an earthy rough burning feel, and so on and so forth the fire of the magical blade changed colors until it stopped. 

Throughout almost an hour or two that has passed either slow or fast, Arty was relieved that the burning finally stopped and somehow she could feel the burning that she has felt the moment she first touched it, disappear like magic healing and when she pulled out the Fiery Blade, she was nearly stunned shocked upon staring its magnificence and sensing its magic power coursing through her and the weapon itself.

It didn’t take long for her to scrutinize the weapon a little before sheathing it hidden from sight and then slowly walk to get out of the cave now and go back to the inn. Arty knew that she should be more surprised and in wonder, but then she couldn’t linger more inside the cave and return quickly before someone else might notice how very late she was or anyone else might sense the magic being flowed out from the magic sword.

After succeeding and conquering the final test given out from the magical weapon, the Fiery Blade itself, now Arteria Blaze is nearly ready to face the whole world of her story head-on as the chosen wielder and future heroine of the story.

As she made it back to the inn, late at night, with the others all asleep, and she quickly got back to her room, Arty doesn’t know what’s in store for her in the future, but she’ll be prepared and ready to face it all when it comes to her. She hoped that she’ll be able to get through everything just so she could find a way to return to her former world in real life. Arty hoped that she’ll be able to succeed while maintaining the flow of the plot of her story.

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	33. CHAPTER 32 - THE CHOSEN WIELDER

**CHAPTER 32 - THE CHOSEN WIELDER**

*****

It was the next morning that has gone by and Arty woke up feeling refreshed and lighter and it didn’t take long for her to instantly remember that she had succeeded in obtaining the Fiery Blade.

She nearly sits up on her bed with excitement and hurriedly dressed up so that she could inspect and study the Fiery Blade closely to measure it in good details and such. It didn’t feel right to study the magical blade in her sleep-wear so she swiftly changed and then carefully brought the magic sword out from its hiding place.

Arty nearly got her face close towards the blade she’s studying intensely on the table, almost breathing on it as she gazed at it with her eyes narrowed and inspecting every detail of it.

She never thought that she would have the magic weapon, the Fiery Blade into her own hands in reality and she never thought that she would nearly feel such magical powers coursing through it, with or without holding and touching it.

She was amazed at its magical intricate design of the blade, and she wondered whether this was made magically or not, and what races have been done to it, whether it was made from the Trinity Goddess herself, or made from elves, dwarves, or magicians into it.

Just as she was still studying it, she didn’t realize that time has passed by already, that the others have noticed this and then knocked on the door, almost surprising and startling Arty when she heard it.

She heard some of the voices of the freedom fighters asking if she was alright and she hurriedly hid away the Fiery Blade so that they will not know about it yet until it was time.

She opened her door and Arty asked the others what they need from her but it turns out that they were just about to call her for lunchtime as it’s nearly mealtime and they noticed her absence and were a little worried about her.

Arty smiled in response to show that she’s fine, and then she’ll come along soon after she is done working with something. It was a relief that they didn’t question her more about it as they left her alone and quickly Arty prepared herself to go down while making sure that the magical weapon is hidden out of sight.

It didn’t take long for her to get down and join the others on their gathering to eat their lunch and have their meals together, and that included Lord Dark-grip who was slightly smiling friendly towards his second leader and the other members of the freedom fighting group.

But then she didn’t notice that Lord Dark-grip was looking at her suspiciously as if he knew that something was up and strange going on with her and Arty knew somehow that he might have sensed something different from her after she had gotten the magical weapon from her trip.

It seems that her thoughts were correct on the matter when Lord Dark-grip asked her about what her solo trips were about ever since she had been gone and absent, and this time the others became curious about what she was doing before when their true leader mentioned it.

Arty nearly cursed out loud on thinking that she thought she had gotten away with it during her trips on passing the Trinity Goddess’ trials and wielding the Fiery Blade, but she knew that there’s no other way to divert their attention away from her since the leader of the group had pointed this out and there is nothing that would fool him towards the other one.

However, she knew that she needed this alliance and she couldn’t have it broken so she quickly and finally decided to go up and show it to them so that they would see the very reason why she’s with them, training and staying with them. She hoped this won’t break relations on their alliance.

After their meals, Arty hurriedly went to her room to grab it and went down fast, while unsheathing the Fiery Blade to show them all, which she knew by the looks on the expressions of their faces, they did not expect this or anything else at all.

Needless to say, Lord Dark-grip and the group of freedom fighters were very much shocked and stunned upon seeing that she revealed herself as the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade. Arty doesn’t blame them for their surprise but she hoped that one of the characters of her story, Lord Dark-grip wouldn’t become suspicious of her again even though he knows deep down that the wielder of the magical weapon is chosen and favored from the Trinity Goddess herself.

Arty hoped that this would cement more on the alliance between her and Lord Dark-grip’s group of freedom fighters and himself. She needed his help into gaining more allies so that she would form the rebellion against the Mad King as she needs to do in being the heroine of her story.

Hopefully, she’ll be able to succeed this and face whatever difficulties and trials she might face in the future, and Arty also hoped that she won’t be getting any unexpected surprises until then. Arty believed to herself that she’ll be brave enough to face all of these head-on and that she would be able to find a way of getting back to the real world where she really came from.

*****

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

**I may or may not continue next week, because I'm too worried about the COVID-19 pandemic to concentrate and fully focus on my stories and works.**

**But don't worry, I'll continue writing once I feel safe and fully relaxed from all the worries once everything is over and that the news will give me updates on the progress of what's going on with the virus.**

**Until the next time, on the next updates of my stories!**

**Please keep on following me and my story works! Thank you!**

**Pray to God always and hope that we survive this through this year 2020, COVID-19 Pandemic!**

*****

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES:
> 
> I may or may not continue next week, because I'm too worried about the COVID-19 pandemic to concentrate and fully focus on my stories and works.
> 
> But don't worry, I'll continue writing once I feel safe and fully relaxed from all the worries once everything is over and that the news will give me updates on the progress of what's going on with the virus.
> 
> Until the next time, on the next updates of my stories!
> 
> Please keep on following me and my story works! Thank you!
> 
> Pray to God always and hope that we survive this through this year 2020, COVID-19 Pandemic!


	34. CHAPTER 33 - WHISPERS AND RUMORS

**CHAPTER 33 - WHISPERS AND RUMORS**

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It’s been a few days that’s already gone by and passed since the group of freedom fighters has known from Arteria Blaze or Arty revealing herself as the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade.

Needless to say, the leaders of the Freedom fighters, including Lord Dark-grip himself was very much stunned surprised at this revelation, that they didn’t hesitate into giving out their appreciation and happiness that they’re allied with the magical weapon’s chosen wielder.

Right now, Arty wanted to focus on planning up more alliances with other possible groups and forming the rebellion against the main villain of the story which is the Mad King.

When she offered up this idea out loud to Lord Dark-grip, he didn’t hesitate to call her up into his office and have a private conversation more about it.

It didn’t take long for them to have heavy discussions about it and the potentials of people who would join the rebellion in Arty’s side against the Mad King.

Then Lord Dark-grip offered the other idea that there are potential people he had noticed and they could be a lot of help for the rebellion.

Arty considered this idea and accepted it and then it was already the next day that she went with Lord Dark-grip and a few other freedom fighters to check out the possible potential people to join in with the alliance of the rebellion.

When she and the others got to the place, where it is a small campsite of what appeared to be a temporary home of wanderers, Arty thought at first that she had imagined seeing one person seemingly transform at first glance.

But then it didn’t take her long to realize and find out that the small camp of wanderers is a group of shape-shifters. Magical beings that can transform their body shape from one person to another or transform themselves from human to animal or creature alike.

That’s when she felt like she hit some sort of jackpot upon finding this group. However, Arty knew that making an alliance with shape-shifters is going to be difficult, considering they’re the type of people to be free wanderers and nomads.

Still, she trusted Lord Dark-grip to try to talk them into it and let them be because she knew his character much more as she had made him as who he is, even with the hidden secret identity he harbors within his person.

After finding that campsite, she wandered about in the area when Lord Dark-grip went to meet up with the leader of the shape-shifting beings and stood in one place to think to herself deeply about something.

But before she could have some thoughts to herself or have a silent moment, she suddenly heard some hushed whispers coming from a few of the freedom fighters that were with them and she discreetly glanced to see who was talking and hearing what they are talking about.

Two or three freedom fighters were talking in worried and concerned voices about Arty and that somehow others from other places have started spreading the word that the Fiery Blade has been found and chosen its wielder.

From what Arty could gather upon hearing them, it seems that when she found the Fiery Blade and then was chosen to wield it, a few magicians had somehow sensed its power being revealed when it happened and because the Fiery Blade was a magical weapon in its right, the magicians were sensitive to feel it of course, even when it’s been newly activated by choosing its new wielder.

Upon hearing the whispers and rumors that were being spread of the newly-chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade, Arty knew that it was a matter of time before the main villain known as the Mad King who will send out numerous troops of his men and hiring mercenaries to hunt her down and kill her just so he could try to obtain the magical weapon once he hears about them.

Arty knew deep down that she’ll have to work fast and make plans to let herself go into hiding while still trying to make a rebellion group to fight against the Mad King’s tyranny and end his rule as she needs to do as the heroine of her story.

She knew that it will be difficult but at least she’s glad to have a few alliances with the group of freedom fighters, Lord Dark-grip, and a possible alliance with the group of shape-shifter wanderers that she and the others had discovered before. She hoped that she’ll be able to succeed in getting more of these alliances just so to follow the exact flow of her story. Arty truly hoped that she would be able to do this and face it all even with the toughest difficulties that will come at her.

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	35. CHAPTER 34 - TRUSTED PARTNER

**CHAPTER 34 - TRUSTED PARTNER**

*****

Arteria Blaze or Arty was thinking deeply over her plan on how to win over the small group of shape-shifting beings in that small camp and have them join in the rebellion to fight against the Mad King.

However, while she was thinking about it, she didn’t realize that she was being approached closely by Lord Dark-grip until he called for her attention, which nearly got her jumping a bit in surprise and startled upon not noticing or even aware that he came near towards her.

She looked at him wondering what he wanted from her and he replied that he has an idea on how to convince the small group into joining the rebellion and have them ally with her for the fight against the Mad King. She gave him a questioning look and he gave a secretive answer that he knows someone among his group that’s going to try to convince the shape-shifters into joining her cause.

Then Arty became curious about who is the person that Lord Dark-grip knows about and who he trusts to be able to convince the shape-shifting group into joining the rebellion group.

But then she remembered something and it was almost deep inside her mind that she couldn’t be able to dig it out from the foremost thoughts in her head, however, before she could pull it out and find out what idea was on her head, Lord Dark-grip nodded to her as if accepting her silence as approval and he went off to talk with that person he trusted to convince the group of shape-shifters.

She knows that Lord Dark-grip doesn’t trust her a little about knowing who his friend is, so she decided to secretly follow him without him noticing or being aware of it and that’s what she did after she made up the fake pretense on working on something in her room quietly and it didn’t take long for her to sneak out and follow behind Lord Dark-grip as he went to meet up with the person he trusted to convince the shape-shifters.

It wasn’t easy because Lord Dark-grip was quite skilled into knowing who might be following him but Arty managed to hide enough of her presence while she followed him around from behind.

By the time that Lord Dark-grip stopped looking around to check if someone’s following him or something, he moved to meet with his friend that he trusted the most and Arty followed behind him silently as she could until the two of them reached some sort of meeting spot where the person will meet Lord Eric there.

When he appeared, needless to say, Arty was very shocked at seeing who it is. She remembered now what it was she was trying to remember in her head and it surprised her once she sees it that she nearly forgot about it.

The person that Lord Dark-grip is meeting with is the only person in the story that he trusted about his true identity and being close friends with, though there is a deeper meaning into their relationship than friendship.

This person is a shape-shifter named Cayden--warrior Cayden. He was a former slave long ago but he was bought by Lord Dark-grip and then was freed by him, he pledged his loyalty into serving him permanently until the day Lord Eric dies.

Lord Dark-grip didn’t want to have Cayden serve him at first, but then when the shape-shifting ex-slave saved his life from an assassination attempt before, he decided to have him as his personal bodyguard in secret.

Arty watched as Lord Eric Dark-grip talks to Cayden about what’s going on and he needed his help into convincing the other shape-shifters into joining the rebellion of the Fiery Blade’s wielder. Cayden nodded in understanding at this and accepted the task into convincing the group to join the alliance with Arty.

Arty followed the two of them as they went to the small campsite and Cayden approached the leader and spoke with him about the rebellion and the reason for joining it and the benefits from it, and it wasn’t long before the leader of the shape-shifter group thought about it deeply before accepting the offer and decided to join in this alliance.

Arty never thought that her plan of an alliance with another group would work, with the help of Lord Dark-grip’s shape-shifter who is his trusted partner. Even though she knows the real truth hidden beneath their relationship to one another, Arty made sure that she didn’t show it or reveal that she knows about it. She was still surprised upon seeing another character early in the story, but she was relieved that the shape-shifting group is now joining the rebellion.

Still, she was very glad that the alliance with the shape-shifters paid off and that they are working together. Now, there’s the matter about Arty dealing with the other task of making and getting an alliance with another group, which are the pack of beast-men warriors. She hoped that she’ll be able to succeed on that matter as well.

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	36. CHAPTER 35 - ALLIANCES

**CHAPTER 35 - ALLIANCES**

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The next task that Arty is going to deal with is gaining the alliance with the pack of beast-men warriors. The beast-men pack she was thinking about, she had already known about them when she noticed some whispers and rumors about it after she and the group of freedom fighters have seen the campsite of the shape-shifters.

When Arty heard about it, she was glad to hear about them that they are nearby in the area, however, she became nervous and wary about it because she heard rumors that the pack of beast-men warriors is a mercenary group.

From hearing about it, she thought that the Mad King would resort to hiring beast-kind mercenaries to search out for her, but then she realized that she’s being a little paranoid about this and that she needs to check them out before she jumps into any more conclusions about it.

It wasn’t long for her to find out where they are and that they’re settling in comfortably in another inn where they seem to be scoping out the area first before doing their job.

It also wasn’t long for Arty to find out what kind of job the beast-men were working on. It seems they were hired for a bounty-hunting job and as mercenaries, they were also ordered to kill on sight, if the sole person they’re looking for decides to run away from them.

Arty doesn’t want to know whether the person they’re looking for might be innocent or not, for she needs their help into joining the rebellion and having allied with them.

Arty had to admit, it was almost unnerving and a little scary on having first glance and seeing the beast-men almost at a fair distance away from them.

Each of them has their unique characteristics that show off their beastly-kind of beings that they are.

One is a furry black man with a head of a bull and wicked sharp-looking horns on his head. Another looked to be half-human completely except with distinctive fox ears, claws, and tail. Another beast-man had the features of a silver-gray wolf with the head of it, furry body, claws, and tail. And finally the last one, the beast-man had the features of a Bengal tiger, with his face and body looking human except with tiger ears, fangs, and whiskers, and also has sharp tiger claws and paws, and a furry tail.

They were quite intimidating in the ways of their appearances, but Arty decided to bravely face them and offer them to join her rebellion and tell them the benefits of being allies with her and reason with them about her cause about it.

She took a deep breath for a silent moment before she approached them courageously after she waited for them to finish their job and they had obtained their reward money for it. The pack of beast-men turned upon sensing and noticing her approach, and they all regarded her with wary and cautious looks but they didn’t give out an intimidating aura to scare her away from their presence.

Arty quickly went to the point and told them about her rebellion and about who she is quietly so that nobody else in range would hear her and their conversation. They were shocked when she revealed herself to them that she’s the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade and then they listened to her about her plans on forming the rebellion to fight against the tyranny of the Mad King.

After she told them everything, Arty waited for them to think about her offer and she thought that they would refuse it since she knows that this will be a dangerous gamble to be in the battle against the villainous king. However, she became surprised when they didn’t hesitate into accepting her offer and answering to her that they will all join the rebelling group to fight for her cause.

Arty was very glad that all her plans have worked successfully with forming the alliances of the beast pack and shape-shifters. Now, Arty has to make plans and preparations on what to do next and what sort of tasks and goals that she’ll need to focus on and work on so that she’ll play out her role as the heroine of the story.

Hopefully, Arty knew that she’ll have to deal with these kinds of matters soon and finish them quickly before the time comes when the Mad King might send out his enemy forces to trying to find her and try to obtain the Fiery Blade she has in her possession. Even though Arty is fully prepared to deal with it when the time comes in the future, Arty knew that the army she’s making for the rebellion won’t be enough to even the odds against the Mad King’s forces. So she’ll have to work quickly on getting more numbers and forming alliances with other groups to do that.

Arty hoped that she would be able to do this fast and quickly as she could before the Mad King sends out his hired goons and mercenaries to search out for her, and she knew that she won’t be able to hide long away from the villain as she is the main character of the story that is needed to fight against him with her magical weapon.

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	37. CHAPTER 36 - UNEXPECTED

**CHAPTER 36 - UNEXPECTED**

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After she had made up the alliances with the group of shape-shifters and the beast-men warriors, she wondered what to plan for next or make her next move, because the growing whispers and rumors about the Mad King sending out forces to find her are increasing by the moment, that she’ll need to hasten fast of her goals and plans for the rebellion against the villainous king.

She wondered whether she might try to go for an alliance with some group of elves or dwarves into the fold, for they are good fighters in their beings’ rights as warriors and such into the rebellion.

But just as she was thinking about it while roaming about the marketplace where she decided to take a walkout and stroll around from the inn she’s staying at with the group of freedom fighters, she noticed something that she almost tripped over her feet and fell down on her face upon seeing it.

At first, she thought she was imagining things, but then when she looked clearly, Arty was almost staring stunned shocked at the sight that it didn’t take long for her to snap out of it and then instantly go into hiding before the person she saw, might turn around and see her.

She never thought that she would see Prince Adrian again, the bastard son of the Mad King and the man who was known as the ice-cold Prince whose aura radiated with coldness, despite that Arty knows deep down that his true character is otherwise different from his appearance.

She wondered what he is doing in the place where she and her rebellion group are here as well, and she hoped that he’s not here under orders from the Mad King himself. Arty didn’t like the feeling of fighting against him since she made her character to be one of the heroine’s allies and a potential partner to her.

She hoped that maybe he’s here only for some royal errand or other matter like that or something and not here looking for the Fiery Blade’s chosen wielder. She hoped that it might be about the first ones and not the latter because she knew that it’s not time yet for the heroine and the prince to meet each other yet in the story for the rebellion group has not been fully formed yet and it wasn’t ready to face against the Mad King.

She breathed quietly, praying and wishing that he would leave and once she felt him going away, she peeked to make sure that Prince Adrian is truly gone and nowhere out of sight.

Once she double-checked and made sure that he’s gone and disappeared to somewhere else and not in the area, Arty relaxed and came out of her hiding place and hurriedly went back to the inn, to hide for the time being until there is something else she needed to deal with or resolve for the matter about her plans and goals into forming more alliances for the rebellion.

Arty didn’t think that this would happen. It was so unexpected that she wasn’t prepared for it. Though it was fortunate that the cold-icy prince hasn’t seen her yet, she knew deep down that it’s only a matter of time before they might encounter each other again and then meet one another.

She’ll have to think of what to do with these unexpected surprises and deal with it quickly before it might get out of hand when she sees the prince again, and even though she made him be the main character’s potential partner in the story, there’s no telling that the story might have been changed as she noticed before and that he might have been turned into a possible enemy instead of a friend and ally.

Arty hoped to herself that she might be able to think of something fast before something else happens that’s going to come at her and catch her off-guard with surprise, that she might not handle it better than she already has, even though she has completed and successfully done her part on being chosen as the wielder of the Fiery Blade. And she hoped that it will be soon while she’s busy forming the rebellion against the Mad King.

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	38. CHAPTER 37 - ALLIES AND ENEMIES

**CHAPTER 37 - ALLIES AND ENEMIES**

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When Arty managed to escape back to the inn and hid away from being noticed by the Cold Prince. She still wondered why he was there and what was the reason for it as she locked herself in the room but made sure that she comes out whenever Lord Dark-grip or the others might come to check on her or call for her.

Still, she was glad that the next few days, she hasn’t seen Prince Adrian again back from where she had seen him and hoped that she won’t be seeing him again until the time comes that is needed for them to meet.

So right now, she needs to focus on making up plans and creating more ideas for the rebellion and such. With the shape-shifters and the beast-men now apart of it, she needs to research more on who to find next and ally with them and try to come up with how to convince them into joining the rebellion.

At first, she should think about approaching the elves, but then she thought about the dwarves that were all masters in their craft of sword-making and creating and making weapons that they need for the battle against the Mad King and enemy forces.

So that’s what she did as she approached Lord Dark-grip about the matter, discussed and talked to him about it, and asking for his opinions on where to find them and how to convince them into joining her cause and ally with them for the rebellion.

Lord Dark-grip considered silently for a moment in his thoughts when she told him about it and it didn’t take a long time for him to ponder over it and decide that it’s a good idea to approach the dwarves and using them for their skills as craftsmen and finding out ways on convincing them to join but without fighting.

For he told Arty that only a few among the dwarf kin are good fighters and warriors, most of their numbers consists of craftsmen and it won’t be of any good use into trying to convince them to join their armies, but it will be a huge benefit if they can make and create many weapons that they will need for the battle against the Mad King.

Arty was relieved and glad to hear of it and then she let Lord Dark-grip find out where they could find dwarves who would help them for this matter and trusted him to be able to convince them into joining like how he did the same with the shape-shifters, even though it was in part thanks to his trusted partner.

Now she needs to focus on how to find out why Prince Adrian is here, how to avoid him and not let the freedom fighters, the allies, and Lord Dark-grip himself into finding out what she is doing and knowing that the Cold Prince is there in the area with them.

Arty was glad about the people she has that are now allies and enemies that she has to plan and make up ideas on dealing with them. But for now, she has to deal with the unexpected matter and surprising situation concerning the Cold Prince Adrian.

She knew that it’s still not smart and wise for them to meet yet for the rebellion is still not completed and has not formed enough people or other beings in it to make up a big army to fight against the enemy forces and the Mad King.

She knew that she needs to work as fast as she could into finding more people and making more allies into the rebellion so that the heroine of the story would end the tyranny of the main villain and then find a way back to her real home.

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	39. CHAPTER 38 - THE REBELLION

**CHAPTER 38 - THE REBELLION**

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As Arty was planning and making ideas for the rebellion, finding allies, and such, she was also focused on the matter and problem about Prince Adrian that she heard from whispers among the people in the village they’re staying in and found that he’s still there somewhere in the area.

She’ll need to plan quickly on how to deal with him and how to make him leave somehow before the others might find out about him and knowing the character of Lord Dark-grip, he might end up choosing that Prince Adrian might be a problem and deal with him personally, even though she knew that Prince Adrian is truly a good guy underneath his ice-cold evil-like persona and such.

She knew that he’s a good person and that he doesn’t need to be killed off so early only because of the whispers and rumors about his reputation and she knew deep down what’s underneath and hidden behind his personality, so she also needs to deal with how to keep this quiet and secret from the others before they find out about the Cold Prince being there and hoped maybe that he would leave soon after he has done whatever errand he’s there for and doing it for and something.

In the meantime, the only thing Arty could think of, to distract the others from finding out about Prince Adrian being in the area is to have a discussion with the others, about her plans and such for the rebellion and finding ways and convincing other allies that they will be searching out for.

She hoped these ideas will work as Arty went off to do just that so that they won’t know about Prince Adrian. By the time, that she has done this and was nearly out of ideas in her head on keeping them busy and distracted while forming the rebellion, she was relieved to hear some news from the whispers among the people in the village that Prince Adrian has finally left and went to return to the Mad King’s side or went somewhere else in another direction but away from the area where Arty and her forming rebellion is.

She was glad to hear about him being gone and now she could focus and work on the other matters, which is finding and searching for more allies and more people to join into the rebellion. She hoped that she’ll be able to make it this far and once she is done with this, she’ll start up planning for the battle ahead against the Mad King.

Arty knew that she’s still not done with her tasks and plans into making more allies and finding more people for the army that’s she trying to form and make up against the Mad King and battle against the enemy forces.

She didn’t think that finding and searching for more people and allies would be slightly difficult but she is determined to see this through until the very end so that she and her army will be prepared and ready to fight against the enemies and the villainous mad tyrant.

She hoped that the rebellion will be completed soon as swiftly as she could while working fast to make sure that there are no mistakes messed up or made into forming it and bearing it fruit in the future when the time comes in the end.

Arty hoped that she’ll be able to succeed and hoped that there won’t be any more unexpected surprises or events that might happen in the future time so that she won’t be caught off-guard and unprepared to face whatever it is against it if it might throw her off course from her goals.

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	40. CHAPTER 39 - THE DWARF CRAFTER

**CHAPTER 39 - THE DWARF CRAFTER**

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Arty wondered what kind of allies she’ll need to find and make friends with and have them join the rebellion. It didn’t take long for news or reports to come to her when Lord Dark-grip called for her about it.

It turns out that some of the freedom fighters heard about some dwarves that are going to be passing through to where they are at their location and it was convenient for Arty when she heard about it and told Lord Dark-grip that they should catch up to them and offer them a chance to join in the rebellion with their skills as crafters for weaponry that they needed for their fighters and such.

He agreed as well and it wasn’t long before they set out to meet up with the dwarves in their path before they might leave soon after whatever errand they’re doing passing through the small village they’re still staying in to form up and make the rebellion against the Mad King.

However, when Arty, Lord Dark-grip, and a small group of freedom fighters escorting them had met up with the group of dwarves as they just entered into the village and were about to set up their stall to trade crafting skills or such, the dwarves became tense and wary of them when they first came to visit them before customers come lining up for them.

The leader of the dwarves stepped forward to confront them and calmly demanded at them on what they want.

Arty winced a little that she knew that doing a forward pushy approach wasn’t a very good first impression they have made to their potential allies but she knew that this was necessary since it looks like that the dwarves won’t be staying long and will leave soon.

So she bravely moved forward and told them about her offer on the rebellion, revealed to them that she’s the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade, and offered them a chance on asking whatever they want from her so that they’ll join or not.

And even if their offer to join was refused, Arty promised that she’ll let the dwarves be on their way and leave them alone and not bother them anymore but she will need to purchase some of their weapons for her fighters in the army to wield for the rebellion.

The dwarf leader listened to all of this from Arty with silence for a tense moment. But then he spoke to Arty in a calm gruff voice, “And even if we join this rebellion or not, what’s in it for the dwarves anyway? What benefits all of our kin?”

Arty calmly responded to him. “I promise you that once the terror of the Mad King’s reign is completely over, I will ensure that all the dwarven race is committed in the name and given full honors of your glory and pride with the help you have provided and be known for all the world that you have allied with the wielder of the Fiery Blade. Your craftsmanship, your skills--everything that you have done and created by your hands will be commended by everyone and no one will dare to exploit or take advantage of all the dwarves under my name, or they will be quickly put to death if ever crimes were made against you all.”

Arty practiced this speech carefully so that the dwarves would believe her, and she did make this speech as the heroine would have said it in allying with the dwarves.

And it was fortunate that it worked because the dwarf leader looked at her with an approving look in his eyes and then nodded at her respectfully as if he’s impressed with her speech before he turned and barked at his kin that they will be helping with the Fiery Blade’s wielder and join the rebellion.

Arty was internally relieved and the leader introduced himself as one of the expert dwarf crafters in his league and slammed a fist against his chest to show his respect and solemn honor that he will be loyal to her cause once she defeats the Mad King.

After recruiting the dwarf crafter and his kin into the rebellion, which Arty is very glad of that, now she has to deal with finding more allies and good warriors to join the rebellion that will even the odds against the enemy forces and the Mad King himself.

Arty hoped that she’ll be able to succeed in her tasks and goals through everything about this and play her role as the heroine of the story perfectly and not make any mistakes. She hoped that she’ll be able to make it through this and survive so that she’ll be able to get back to her home in the real world.

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	41. CHAPTER 40 - THE ELF WARRIOR

**CHAPTER 40 - THE ELF WARRIOR**

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After Arty had recruited the dwarves into the rebellion, now she has to deal with finding ways to making allies with somebody else, like the elves. And she wondered how she’s going to approach that once she goes to find and meet them. Fortunately, it seems her luck got the better for her once again when she received news about it.

One of the freedom fighters reported straight to Lord Dark-grip as he and Arty were in the office together, discussing plans on providing shelter and comfort for their new allies the dwarves, and then he told them about some elves that had also arrived into the village, wearing some kind of magical invisible cloaks and seemed to be searching for someone.

Lord Dark-grip and Arty exchanged puzzled looks at this, but Arty had a feeling that the elves must be here looking for the Fiery Blade’s new chosen wielder for they are sensitive magical beings who can sense these sort of powerful-like events that happened and the elf leaders must have sent out scouts to find out who it is that is the new wielder of the magical blade.

Arty voiced out her thoughts and opinions about it and it took a silent moment for Lord Dark-grip to agree on her statement about it but he started telling her that she should stand back and stay inside in case these elf scouts might turn out to be enemies or something and not the good ones.

First, he will send out some of his men to make sure and check if the elves are good ones and not mercenaries sent out to kill the wielder or something. Arty agreed because she remembered as the story’s writer, she created that there are good and bad elves in the world she has made.

So she stands by and stays inside just as Lord Dark-grip said and she waited patiently until he sends out word that she is needed to meet the elves once they are sure that they are friendly or foe.

It didn’t take long for her to wait as two freedom fighters have returned and called for her so that Arty is needed to meet with the elves that came to find her.

She prepared herself to look nice and became ready to meet them as she follows the others to the meeting place where Lord Dark-grip is waiting along with the group of elves that came to meet her.

As she arrived, they turned to look at Arty with the elves looking at her like they’re studying her for a moment as if judging or assessing her potential and such, and then after a tense moment, they relaxed their composure and approached Arty in friendly ways, that it also got her to relax as well.

There was a small discussion among them as they talked about their possible alliance with one another and joining the rebellion and it wasn’t long before the elf scouts started to agree one another that a few of them will stay behind and join Arty’s rebellion in fighting against the Mad King.

It seemed that few of them are also skilled warriors and Arty was glad to hear about that before the other elves left to send word to their leaders of confirming that Arty is the true wielder of the Fiery Blade. Arty welcomed the elves who will be staying with them and she promised them on her name and honor that she will make sure that the elves will be free from hiding away from the Mad King’s tyranny as they have suffered before.

The elves thanked her in gratitude and will hold her word since she gave her promise on that and it wasn’t long before Arty, Lord Dark-grip and the other freedom fighters escorted the cloaked elves into entering the village and also providing them places to take shelter and stay for the time being for the cause of the rebellion and prepare themselves for the incoming battle against the villainous king.

Arty was relieved that she managed to successfully ally and recruit the elf warrior and some of his kin into the rebellion. Now all she needs to do is worry about other matters, like Prince Adrian and the mercenaries sent out by the Mad King.

She wondered how she’s going to be able to deal with that when it comes to the future and that she needs to play the role of the heroine of the story to be able to find a way on getting back home to the real world. She hoped that she’ll be able to succeed on her task while making sure that she doesn’t die in the end as she had created and made the story just as it was written to be. 

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	42. CHAPTER 41 - BLADE'S POWERS

**CHAPTER 41 - BLADE'S POWERS**

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It was a few days later, that Arteria Blaze or Arty decided to try out what kind of abilities or powers does the magical weapon, the Fiery Blade has.

She knew she should have done that before, but she got a little busy with forming the rebellion and making allies and such. But now she managed to grab some free time to learn and discover more about the magical blade that she now has.

She knew this would be a little different than creating and writing about it, and she needs to learn how to wield it just so she knows in a slight reality on using it.

So that’s where and when she started about right now. Arty went off to a secluded place somewhere in the woods to train herself and learn about the Fiery Blade.

At first, she felt herself feeling a little stupid when she stands still in one spot and was holding out the Fiery Blade in her hands as if expecting some sort of reaction to emerge from the magic weapon.

But just as she thought nothing happens, and she was about to contemplate on how to activate it, the magical blade somehow started to respond to her silent thoughts and starts to emerge flames, burning in its blade as if showing its original element that is named for.

Arty was impressed a little, but she needed to know about its other elements so that she knows what she’s dealing with. And as if in response to her thoughts again, the burning flames died out from the shiny silver blade, and then it turned into blue watery-like flames as it shows itself out and emerges into the blade.

Arty became impressed at this and swings the sword a little as she figures out that it can turn itself into a water-elemental ability onto the magic blade and then she tries thinking of other elements to see how they turn out.

When she thought of earth, the blue flames vanished and then turned and showed itself an orange dusty-sand like flames and when she makes a strike, the ground responded and became blown away like it was being brushed by the sword itself as if it were a broom.

Then Arty thought of air, and the orange flames disappeared again and became almost transparent grey and white-like flames as they appeared onto the blade. When she strikes at the air itself, somehow a tornado whirlwind was formed and it was blown away as well in response to the swinging of her sword.

Now she tries to do something else by manipulating the elements while maneuvering the sword in a mock battle by herself. And Arty managed to accomplish that successfully, even though it caused some few damages in the surroundings she’s in at her secluded training spot.

By the time, she was almost done training for herself at that time, it was already late at night and Arty knew that she needs to go back and rest for another day and train herself more with the magical weapon.

When she returned to the inn and went straight to her room to sleep, she noticed that the others have noted her absence during that time but they didn’t confront her about it because they have already known that she was learning and training herself as the Fiery Blade’s chosen wielder and everything.

Arty never realized the full extent of the magical blade’s powers, and this was only the beginning of these discoveries. She never knew what else the Fiery Blade does have in its mystical and magical arsenal on its very being, and she seemed excited but also cautious about knowing and discovering what they are.

She hoped that as its chosen wielder, she’ll have to be very careful about handling it before the magical weapon itself might hurt her or someone else in the future. Arty hoped that she’ll be able to master the skills while wielding this magical blade and hoped that it will be enough to fight against the Mad King himself and not get herself killed when the time comes.

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	43. CHAPTER 42 - WIELDER'S AIMS

**CHAPTER 42 - WIELDER'S AIMS**

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After Arty discovered and find out about half of the Fiery Blade’s powers, she’ll need to focus on training herself to wield it properly so that she wouldn’t hurt herself or anyone else as she uses the magical weapon.

It took about a few more days to learn and train herself on wielding the magical blade, and trying to discover and know more about it. But while Arty was doing that, she didn’t know that the others are also helping her with the rebellion and finding more allies to join it so that they will have enough in their army to fight against the Mad King and the enemy forces.

Just as Arty was busy with the task of training herself with the Fiery Blade and Lord Dark-grip and the others were busy with the rebellion, there was another character in the sidelines who was also doing something but it’s not someone that you would ever expect it to be.

And that character--or rather the person who’s doing this other task by the sidelines, somewhere in the shadows--is Prince Adrian, the one who’s been called and known as the Cold Prince and the son of the Mad King, which he’s been portrayed as a bastard because his mother is a lowly peasant of poor origins.

Prince Adrian had been waiting for this day to overthrow his tyrant father for almost a decade ever since he was a child and had been mistreated badly from the Mad King and then thrown away and banished to some dangerous colder regions where he’s supposed to die.

But then he survived and then the Mad King had to acknowledge him as his only heir by the suggestions from the royal council and ordered him back.

Prince Adrian sneered to himself when he arrived at his father’s beck and call, pretending to follow him like a servant--when in truth and harsh reality, he hated him at the bottom of his very heart and soul.

He had been planning secretly to take over his father somehow, and then make peace with the other states of the whole world so that they wouldn’t suffer any more horrors from the reign of terror from the Mad King.

However, he didn’t have a way to fight him back, because the Mad King was somehow invincible by his rights because the king resorted to dabbling into dark magic to make himself stronger and such, that caused his insane madness.

Even though he’s all crazy in mind, there are still parts inside the Mad King that makes him cunning and smart like he’s a dangerous snake to deal with.

As Prince Adrian was thinking about how to deal and fight against his father, he got news from his spies about the sudden rumors and whispers of the Fiery Blade had emerged from hiding and has chosen its wielder.

He knew that he’ll need to somehow find this wielder and be its ally, for he believed that the magical weapon and its chosen one would be the only ones to defeat against the tyrant Mad King.

Prince Adrian seemed to be wondering about the chosen wielder’s aims in the future, and what cause does he have to form the rebellion and what his plans were--when his spies reported and told him about it. It would seem that he’ll need to find out sooner than later than just stand by and see this unfold, whether this might endanger the world itself or something.

He’ll have to find a way on how to approach the chosen wielder about this and find out what were his goals before he might end up getting his people and allies hurt against the enemy forces of his so-called father and dark enemy, the Mad King.

He hoped that he would be able to succeed on that before the time comes and that it won’t be too late when it does. Prince Adrian wondered how the meeting is going to turn out once he goes face-to-face with the person--not knowing that the person he will be facing is the fiery redheaded woman who is the chosen wielder of the infamous magical Fiery Blade.

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	44. CHAPTER 43 - MEETINGS

**CHAPTER 43 - MEETINGS**

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It was then a few days later, after Arteria Blaze or Arty was training herself in using the Fiery Blade and wielding it to good use more, that something happened which is surprising and slightly unexpected for her, or rather in this case, for the Fiery Blade’s chosen wielder.

There were rumors and whispers being heard by one of the spy freedom-fighters, and he came back running to Lord Dark-grip and reported to him about it. Then it didn’t take long for Lord Dark-grip to call for Arty and tell her about it.

When she came by to see him and was wondering about the commotion that was starting to spread among the group of freedom-fighters, Lord Dark-grip didn’t hesitate on holding back and telling her about the growing rumors about her and that there are more people coming to search for her, but not the friendly or good types.

Arty has already known about this and even though she’s not worried about it, she is still concerned from the inside whether this might become a problem for her and the rebellion she’s still forming and has not completed yet.

But then another thing was voiced out into their conversation and Arty is more surprised about it.

There was someone else who is looking for her and spoke about her almost accurately and requested a meeting for her personally.

Lord Dark-grip doesn’t know who is the person specifically that’s searching for Arty and wanting to meet with her but he promised to look into it more on finding out about it, concerning who the person is.

After their conversation, Arty told Lord Dark-grip that she’ll consider it on her decision to meet with the unknown people or not, and then Lord Dark-grip nodded to her before she went back to her room to think on it more deeply.

Just as she got inside, Arty sat down and was thinking deeply and pondering about what to do with these matters that seem to concern her and worry her a bit about it.

The unknown person has to be someone who knows about her very well, but the only people she knows were her family and her magician friend that she hasn’t seen yet ever since she left them on her journey at that time before.

Somehow, she needed to know about who was the person that knows so much about her and meet them before they would meet her in person so that she won’t be caught in some kind of trap being plotted by the enemies or something.

Hopefully, when Lord Dark-grip and his spies look deeper and investigating the matter, they’ll find out and tell her who it was and the reason why they know so much about her and all that.

But she knows that it will take time since they’re so busy with the other matters concerning the rebellion as they were focused on completing it and searching for more allies to fight against their enemies.

Arty had never thought about what unexpected surprises or other things that would matter the most in front of her mind and keep her slightly distracted by it. She never thought about whatever revelations or situations that might arise that could create conflicts into the rebellion she’s trying to form and complete.

Still, she knew that these meetings she’ll be going through in the near future when the time comes has to be dealt with, so that she’ll focus to finish forming the rebellion and be ready and prepared to face the enemy forces and fight against them, including the main villain, the Mad King himself.

She’ll have to deal with this particular matter first and find out who’s trying to set up these meetings with her and not reveal themselves on who they are. Hopefully, Arty thought that they might be friendly people instead of more enemies and such. She’s not sure if she could be able to handle any more problems when they come unexpectedly into her path and stop her from reaching her goals in the future.

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	45. CHAPTER 44 - THE MAGICIAN

**CHAPTER 44 - THE MAGICIAN**

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It was a few days later that’s gone by and it turns out to be surprising and unexpected for Arteria Blaze as she tries to complete forming the rebellion but her mind and focus on other matters.

And that would be the parts of hearing rumors and whispers of approaching unknown threats into the secret areas they were forming the rebellion and gathering allies and such.

Arty didn’t think of these sudden problems for another piece of news became surprising for her to confirm if it’s true or not.

And that news would concern the certain people on searching for her--specifically one person in truth.

And it was very shocking to find out who it is.

For it is her friend that she never expected to come to find her and join her in the cause.

That would be Emyrie Skylight, the heroine’s magician.

She never thought that she would come looking but then she was glad to hear about it.

She told Lord Dark-grip about it, and he instantly cautioned her that friend or not, she has to be on guard and be careful to check first whether this might be some sort of trick to trap her or ambush her when the Fiery Blade’s chosen wielder comes out from hiding and reveals herself.

Arty understood his worries and reassures him that she’ll be having a few back-up people siding with her to see her friend if it’s really her or not.

With that plan made and worries eased, Arty quickly made up preparations to meet up with Emyrie soon, but first she decided to ease some people’s worries to make sure if it’s her or not, and she lets some of Lord Dark-grip spies to confirm it.

It wasn’t long before they came back and reported that it’s really her and that she’s been waiting patiently to see her friend again in secret when she heard rumors about Arty as she finished her magic training and came to search for her.

Arty was surprised upon hearing this and wanted to know how she finished her magical training as a mage so quickly, but then she remembered and realized that she made the character the way she is like in the story.

For the heroine’s magician is skilled and smart, even wielding magic, and finishes the training of her magic powers in early times and graduate early to accompany and assist the heroine of the story.

When the time came, Arty was almost vibrating with excitement and eagerness to see her friend and how she has grown and what she has gone through in her experiences as a finish-trained magician and everything.

By the time they saw each other in another place, far away and in secret from others, they dropped all calm pretenses and ran to hug each other tightly like they’re blood-sisters reunited after being far apart.

The back-up of freedom fighters Arty had brought along to guard her and stay by her side, stood by and just watched the reunion as the two girls embraced and nearly sobbed upon seeing each other again.

Then it didn’t take long for small talk to be exchanged between them, and then finally Arty offered Emyrie a place to stay with them and she quickly accepted.

It wasn’t a long trip to get back to the main headquarters but then Emyrie continued talking with Arty along the way as they walked until they reached Arty’s rooms where they will be sharing together.

Some weren’t pleased upon this arrangement, but they trusted the wielder to take care of herself and be safe and careful as they left the two girls alone.

Then Emyrie settled herself in, putting her things down and then sits on the bed that Arty decided that they’ll share together until the others bring in an extra bed into the room.

After that, Emyrie got a little tired and Arty told her to rest even though she still wants to stay awake and talk to her more, but Arty ordered her and she obeyed without question.

Just as Arty watched her friend surrender to her exhaustion and has gone to her slumber, she sat on her chair to look at her from across the room, while thinking deeply in her thoughts.

Arty never thought that the heroine would have her friend, the magician now at her side at the time of forming the army and allying with other beings to make the rebellion.

She was glad to have her there and even though she’s curious about how her friend managed to find her, there is still time to talk more after Arty has her trusted and close friend helping out with the rebellion.

She wondered who else might come to surprise her in the future as the time passes by, and wonders about how they’ll be helping the heroine out when the time comes to fight against the Mad King and somehow find her way back home in the real world.

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	46. CHAPTER 45 - FRIENDS

**CHAPTER 45 - FRIENDS**

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Arteria Blaze never thought that she now had Emyrie Skylight by her side and staying with her in the midst of the near completion of forming the rebellion.

Arty was very glad to have Emyrie being by her side, but then she knew there’s a lot to talk about a little later after she has finished with some serious matters that need to be dealt with.

First, she introduced her friend to Lord Dark-grip and the Freedom fighters. And even though her friend was a little nervous upon meeting them, Emyrie seemed to have somehow won overall their hearts as they greeted and accepted her as a part of the group almost very quickly upon their first meeting and such.

Arty was glad of this, though she felt a little anxious when Lord Eric Dark-grip gazed upon her magician friend as if trying to discern whether she’s really a friend and not an enemy that’s staying and living with them.

Then it didn’t take long for Arty to become relieved and relax when she saw Lord Eric accepting her friend as the others have accepted and trusted her and Arty smiled upon the slightly funny sight when Emyrie stammered a little in respect upon meeting Lord Dark-grip.

After the meeting, Arty brought her friend back to their rooms they’re sharing together so that Emyrie wouldn’t feel so nervous and jittery and then they had their talk upon how Emyrie had completed her magical training and such, and also how she found out and searched for Arty when she graduated early.

Then Emyrie responded back, telling her the story and explaining everything to her as simple as she could for Arty to listen to her about everything. The conversation almost took so long about a few hours, including between lunch and dinner time, but by then Arty was happy to listen to her friend prattle and talk on about what she has been through and such in her journey.

When it’s almost late at night, Emyrie has finished with her story and she was surprised at seeing the time already but then Arty reassured her that it was alright and she was happy to hear all about it what she’s gone through.

Emyrie smiles back to her friend and then the two girls went to bed after their long talk and rest for another new day to go through, and Arty watched as her friend fell asleep first before she joined her next as she looks up silently and thoughtfully upon the ceiling above her, thinking deeply over something.

Arty was glad that she is friends with the magician, who counsels and advises her almost similar to the wizard who stands by the side of a legendary noble king from mythical stories and legends.

She never thought that having her by her side is a great help as the rebellion is nearly complete and that she’d share on who are the greatest warriors and beings to ally with to fight against the Mad King in the future.

Arty knew that there is still a lot of work and planning to be done, but right now she just needs to focus on the matter for the rebellion and making sure she didn’t miss anything that might come to their path and stand in their way, to take down the villainous tyrant that’s been ruling the world through fear because of his strange evil madness.

She hoped that she’ll be able to succeed in defeating him when the time comes and that she’ll be able to find a way back home to the real world without dying like she has gotten the heroine to do in the story. Arty hoped that the time might come sooner than later, for she feels that the longer she stays in the story world, she might forget who she truly is from the real one.

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	47. CHAPTER 46 - EXPECTATIONS

**CHAPTER 46 - EXPECTATIONS**

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Days pass by, either so slow or fast, to Arty or to others, depending on how they look upon it. But those passing of days at the time doesn’t matter, because there is one important matter that many in the rebellion need to discuss and talk about. And it’s mainly to the leaders of the still-forming rebellion that has to gather together and discuss the important subject or topic about it. 

It was fortunate for Arty, as she and her friend Emyrie were left out on the loop and were confused about what the important matter is when they don’t know what it is, that the meeting of them gathered together to talk about it had happened sooner already when Lord Dark-grip called for them.

Even though Lord Dark-grip still has a few doubts concerning her magician friend, he decided to let it be and let Emyrie join in the meeting when Arty and Emyrie came into his office room where the meeting is being held at.

It didn’t take long for Lord Dark-grip to reach the heart of the matter and talk about the important topic that needed to be discussed among them. And needless to say, Arty was a little surprised upon finding out what it is about right there and then.

In slightly little matter, they are having problems with the lack of few numbers they have made allies with and joining into the forming rebellion, that it might not be enough of their forces to fight against their enemies. Fortunately, Arty reassured them all that they still have time for it and weren’t in any hurry to completing the rebellion unless the Mad King made his move first.

Now, the big matter that’s problematic and needs to be dealt with, is that the Mad King’s bastard son, the Ice Prince Adrian was rumored to be lurking about from what Lord Dark-grip’s spies have reported and told him.

It worried the freedom fighters upon hearing about the Ice Prince that is somewhere lurking about almost near the area or something. But then Arty quickly reassured them that they should think on it more and consider that it might be nothing since the prince doesn’t seem to be specifically searching for them. She pointed out the possibility that it cannot be so because the prince would have brought his personal army of sorts to deal with the forming rebellion if he had heard of it or not.

Arty was relieved that they bought her words and were convinced of this but then she knew that they’ll become anxious enough to want to deal with it themselves, even by Lord Dark-grip’s commands or not.

Once the topics have been shared, they exchanged some small opinions and other suggestions about it, but not good ones to consider about on their final decisions and it only took a few hours later until night time for the meeting to be stopped and dispersed, by Lord Dark-grip commanding it to be so and they’ll discuss it more the next time.

After the meeting was dismissed and they went back to their quarters, Arty didn’t realize that she was deep in her thoughts as she was thinking about the discussion they’ve had during the meeting, that she was a bit startled and surprised when her friend Emyrie got her attention upon telling her that they’re now in their shared rooms and that they need to rest now until the next day again.

Arty waited for Emyrie to finish washing up and dress in her night-clothes before she had her turn and went straight to her bed with Emyrie now sleeping on her new one right across and beside hers. But Arty didn’t go to sleep as she stared up at the ceiling still awake and listened quietly when her friend easily fell into a slumber, her breaths turning soft and gentle as she rests peacefully.

On the other hand, Arty stayed alert and awake still, as her eyes were filled with deep thoughts that she’s still thinking about. And it looks like she’s considering the worries and concerns she’s having about the incomplete forming of the rebellion due to lack of numbers for their army of fighters, and the Ice Prince who’s rumored to still be lurking about near their hidden base or something.

Arty is not sure of the expectations being made and that she would be able to complete and finish them as others have expected it from her, as she is the chosen wielder of the magic weapon, the Fiery Blade. She knows that even with few successes she has done with other tasks on gaining allies, there are still lots more to do, like making up good plans on fighting against the forces of the Mad King, and also creating contingencies and back-up plans in case anything goes awry in their preparations and plots.

However, Arty is confident enough that she’ll be able to make through this because her determination on getting back home to the real world has motivated her enough to get through this without some difficulties or other delays in the matters of this. But Arty hoped that with her trusted friends and allies, they’ll be able to succeed in fighting against the enemies and the forces under the Mad King’s rule, and be able to play the story out as it is written and made to be, just so there won’t be any more unexpected surprises again in the future as the time comes or something.

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	48. CHAPTER 47 - ICE PRINCE AGAIN

**CHAPTER 47 - ICE PRINCE AGAIN**

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It was the next day later, that Arty decided to train herself with Emyrie fighting against her as a magic enemy in case that she is about to fight one in the future if the time ever comes or not.

When she talked to her friend about it, she didn’t mind letting herself become target practice or something, and so the two girls went outside but not far enough from the base and started their training fight with one another.

Arty prepared herself as she brought out the Fiery Blade and posed herself in ready battle position, facing off against her magician friend who took out her magic staff from its hidden place on her person.

Then the battle was on when Emyrie made her first move by shooting out random voiceless spells right at Arty, and the heroine managed to dodge and deflect them with her magic weapon before trying to get near and strike the magician girl down.

Emyrie managed to hold her ground as they exchanged blows and fought one another, almost furiously like they’re not friends anymore but instant enemies against each other. It only took a few hours before the training fight was over and both Arty and Emyrie were almost near to exhaustion upon their fight.

Then they didn’t notice that they had a small audience watching them, and even though not one of them had won the battle in their training spar, they cheered Arty on like she’s the winner and she became slightly startled upon realizing that they’re there.

Arty blushed upon being watched on their spar but Emyrie just chuckled as she didn’t mind and then one of the fighters started saying that there’s a short meeting Lord Dark-grip is giving out to and they need to attend. He had already known that they were training and sparring so he waited until they were done and finished and then call them for the meeting.

Arty thought that Lord Dark-grip will be a bit furious upon her and her friend missing the meeting because of their training but she was relieved to know that they were allowed to when he was aware of it.

Both Arty and Emyrie quickly cleaned themselves up and hurried to the meeting even though they had been told it will only be a short one and find out what it’s about now that they needed to gather and talk about in the meeting.

It turns out that the worries about the Ice Prince are still continuing as Lord Dark-grip reported that the man seemed to be looking for something almost intensely and was nearly lurking about close to their base area where they are hiding and forming their rebellion.

They started discussing how to deal with that, no matter how much Arty tried to intercede or interrupt that they should try considering and thinking more on it, and a few of the freedom fighters were getting a little agitated upon knowing that one of their possible enemies continues to lurk about and might come near their hidden base and expose them.

As they discuss, Arty managed to interrupt and talk to Lord Dark-grip into holding this off a little while longer and pointed out again that the prince hasn’t done any harm or any other suspicious activities yet that concerns them and that they need to focus on the rebellion and making other allies instead of focusing on the Ice Prince.

It worked as Lord Dark-grip seem to agree with Arty’s words on it, but Arty knew better that it only delays the matter more so it turns to her on dealing with it herself, which she is thinking about it deep in her mind all by herself and such.

After another meeting together with the others has been dismissed at the end of their discussion, Arty and Emyrie went back to their rooms, with her magician friend looking at Arty worriedly as she seemed to sense some concerns that her sword-wielding chosen heroine of a friend is having problems with.

And it was true because Arty still has worries concerning the Ice Prince again when she heard the confirmation from others among Lord Dark-grip’s fighters and spies that Prince Adrian is still lurking about near their hidden place as if he’s still searching for something in the area or maybe it’s the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade he’s actually looking for and trying to find.

Arty didn’t know what to do about that and how to deal with it if it’s about the latter case in her mind and it looks like she’ll have to do some deep thinking again and consider the choices and decisions she has to make on what to do about the son of the Mad King since Lord Dark-grip and the others are getting anxious and agitated about it.

It would seem that the heroine of the story will need to make a final decision about it and consider meeting the prince sooner than later because it might bring dire consequences if Arty keeps on ignoring that matter later. Arty hoped that it won’t bring any unexpected surprises again in the latter note so that she and the others will be able to finally complete forming the rebellion and start their plots into fighting against the Mad King and his enemy forces before the villain himself might decide to make the first move against them soon if the time comes. Arty hoped that it won’t ever come to that.

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	49. CHAPTER 48 - MEETINGS AGAIN

**CHAPTER 48 - MEETINGS AGAIN**

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It was the next day later, and it seems that the problematic matters that they need to deal with, still continues to be there, at the very moment when Arty and her magician friend Emyrie was called into another meeting from Lord Dark-grip and his fighters.

And the subject of the very matter that they were all concerned about on the problem and such, is specifically Prince Adrian, the Ice Prince, who is rumored and seen from Lord Dark-grip’s spies that he’s still lurking about and almost coming near towards their hidden area.

Upon hearing about this, Arty was a little shocked on knowing this stunning revelation and she couldn’t help but wonder what it is that got Prince Adrian so determined to stick around and search for something whatever it is he’s looking for.

She still doesn’t know or can’t confirm whether it’s her that Prince Adrian is looking for because she’s the new chosen wielder of the magic weapon, the Fiery Blade.

Or it may be another reason like Prince Adrian is trying to find more connections upon his rule to fight against his cruel father and overtake his throne so that he will make changes to the horrific tyranny the Mad King has done throughout the whole kingdom from the capital to the other states.

Arty knew about the latter part very well because this is how she made his character to be as the story’s writer and such, but then there’s no way to check if her suspicions were true if she can’t even confirm it without letting the others know that the Fiery Blade’s wielder is being friendly with the Ice Prince himself.

Arty knew that if she tries to reveal her plans on making allies and friends with the Ice Prince, as the story is made out to be, they won’t react well because they cannot trust Prince Adrian at all, since he is the son of the Mad King, despite that he was being mistreated unfairly all because he was born and raised well from a peasant mother that the Mad King had a short fling with.

It looks like Arty has to think up more thoughts and plans on dealing with this as secret as she could, and she hoped that with her magician friend, Emyrie would be on her side with this upon learning and realizing that Arty wants to make friendly relations with the Ice Prince.

It was fortunate and a relief that Lord Dark-grip is having his spies keep watch over Prince Adrian and hasn’t made up a decision on making a move against him. For him and his fighters were still expectantly waiting for Arty herself to make up her final decision on what to do with the Ice Prince.

Arty shared that she hasn’t made up her mind or thought of her final decision yet so Lord Dark-grip let her be and that they’ll wait until the next meeting if the situation becomes more dire and problematic or something.

Arty was glad to hear that and she doesn’t plan to reveal out loud that she has been considering one of her choices on allying with the Ice Prince. She’ll have to reveal that later when the time comes as she thinks more and considers her choices on the matter and then decides to share it with the others.

It wasn’t long until they discuss more concerning the rebellion and its near completion, and then the meeting was dismissed and ended until the next time as Lord Dark-grip had dismissed the others and told them as such.

After those meetings again, Arty had to consider what to do in her deep thinking mind and consider seriously about dealing with Prince Adrian, the Ice Prince, who is still lurking about near their hidden base and area where they are nearly finished with forming the rebellion and the army to fight against the Mad King.

Since the circumstances that are coming to be problematic upon the kind of situation they’re in, it looks like Arty has some deep thinking to do and make up her mind on her final decision on dealing with the problems, like completing the rebellion and Prince Adrian that is near them.

Hopefully, with her magician friend’s help, Arty would be able to make up her final choices and choose the right and wisest one so that she’ll be able to get through this and find a way back home to the real world.

Arty hoped that the final decisions she makes, they will be the right ones and it won’t cause consequences and bring more problems in the future when the time comes as they have completed their tasks into gaining the right number of allies, completing the rebellion to grand form and prepare to fight against the enemy forces, especially the tyrant Mad King.

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	50. CHAPTER 49 - BLOOD CONTRACTS

**CHAPTER 49 - BLOOD CONTRACTS**

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It was a few days later, exactly about five days that’s gone by almost so fast, that something unexpected suddenly happened that Arty didn’t expect to occur as they were still forming the rebellion and almost on the verge of completing it.

Arty heard from Lord Dark-grip that another group had come searching for her and wanted an alliance and join into the rebellion. But then she saw the pinched and darkened look on his face, as well as the same ones that were shared among his freedom fighters.

She wondered what’s that about but then Lord Dark-grip quickly told her what is the problem about these possible allies, for they are dark creatures of the vampiric side.

Arty was very shocked upon hearing this but then she asked him if it’s true and he told her that some of his spies have reported on hearing about it and a few have seen them coming to search for her and approach her for the potential alliance.

Arty wondered more about it and then she asked if they’re sure if they’re truly vampires and not Dhampir for she remembered that these are the dark beings that she had written and created into the story upon allying with the chosen wielder of the Fiery Blade.

Lord Dark-grip didn’t think of double-checking so he turned and told his fighters to check it out again and they went off to do just that to check on if what Arty’s thoughts were true or not and confirm it, for they really didn’t want the kind of dark beings to ally with and join the rebellion.

It didn’t take long for the fighters to come back, along with Lord Dark-grip’s spies to report to him and Arty that the beings were as just as she thought they would be--that are Dhampir, who are coming to search and ally with the wielder Arteria Blaze of the Fiery Blade.

After confirming that, Arty told Lord Dark-grip that she’ll think more on the matter concerning whether they should ally with these beings or not, and he and his fighters trusted her to make the right and wise decisions about it. But he warned Arty that she should consider the matter about these dangerous beings more in case she might not endanger their lives if she chooses to ally with them, and Arty promised that she will.

After Arty was left alone to her thoughts when she went back to her room and then she didn’t realize that she was thinking deeply about it that her senses were blind and deafened to everything surrounding her, including her friend Emyrie who tried to get her attention but Arty ignored her for she’s too deep in her thoughts about the new matter that came surprisingly to join the rebellion.

Arty had to be very careful when she makes this alliance with the half-human and half-vampire kind, known as Dhampir to join into the rebellion to free them from the tyrannical cruel rule of the Mad King. She knew very well that, even though some of these beings can be honorable with their promises of words, most can be distrustful because of their lust and thirst for blood and flesh due to their dark sides as vampires and that they can also be selfish and greedy when it comes to power-conquering in battles that they can easily win for.

Arty knew that Lord Dark-grip and the Freedom fighters are relying on her to make the wisest decisions on allying with these kinds of dark creatures and though they didn’t want them to join the rebellion, they knew very well, including her, that they need the numbers to overthrow the Mad King and his enemy forces.

So Arty had to be very careful into dealing with the Dhampir and that she’ll need her magician friend’s help into ensuring that the blood contracts she’ll form with them is rock solid and unbreakable so that they wouldn’t dare to try to go against their so-called honored words and promised vows and that they also won’t try to betray them in the case of a losing battle of sorts.

Arty really hoped that she won’t be regretting her decisions once she makes up her mind about the alliance with the dark beings and having them join the rebellion so that they’ll be fighting off what will be the greatest war in the history of the fantasy world she’s in and that she hoped that she will be able to make it out alive so that she’ll find a way to return to her home in the real world.

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